Toothless Origins
by AlphaStorm73
Summary: Ever wondered how Toothless came to be what he is? Ever wondered what his entire perspective is? Here's what happened (in my imagination). Toothless Origins is Toothless' story.
1. AuthorsTranslators Note

**_Author's Note (translated)_ : This was a story that I have been asked about many times. I, as the only dragon of my species, am asked what happened to the rest of the dragons of my kin. This story, that I've spent years working on, is my story. How I became what I am now, how I met my best friend, and how I as well as this friend I speak of ended up changing the history of the world for ever.**

 **The reason this took so long to release in any way is that I wanted to make sure all the details I mentioned are completely correct. My friends name was the hardest part, but at the end of it, I learned his real name is Hiccup. The others of his kin weren't as hard, because using his native language I was able to translate back to my native language. However, I did want to make completely sure that I was getting it right, and that took a long time.**

 **I want to dedicate this to Hiccup. He is my best friend, and I wish I could spend more time with him, but after the war a few years ago, I haven't seen him in a long time. I started writing this before that war took place, but for the most part, this was written after said war. But, I dedicate this to Hiccup. I love him and miss him so much.**

 ** _Translators Note_ : So, this is a document that I've wanted to get translated back into English for a while. I've spent a long time learning the dragon's language, and since it took me about four years to learn it, this took even longer than Toothless is letting on. I'm not Hiccup, by the way. I acquired this document from Toothless about a year ago, and back then, I wasn't completely fluent in the language. Now though, I ran through this again to make sure it's one hundred percent accurate to what Toothless was trying to say.**

 **I'm happy this is starting to get the light of day. Toothless wanted to release this for a long time, and he's standing beside me, a huge smile on his face. He seems excited about this. I won't take much more time on this.**

 **So, without further ado, we proudly present:** _ **Toothless Origins**_ **.**


	2. Conception

_*This story contains quotes written by famous dragons*_

* * *

' _ **As a Dragon, once a Dragon, to be a Dragon, to see a Dragon. How the humans see us is different to how we see us.' ~Deserteye, Sand Buster**_

* * *

 _ **-Conception-**_

* * *

I felt my body being slightly compressed. I had no idea what was going on, I didn't know where I was, and I was terrified. Opening my eyes, I only saw black. There was nothing nearby for me to clutch onto. I pressed against the walls of this room I was in. It was an oblong sphere of some kind, and the walls felt weak. My first thoughts at this revelation were to escape this enclosure.

I pressed against one of the walls, and the wall stretched slightly. I was weak and frail. I felt exhausted, even though I had clearly had a good rest. I pressed against the wall again and I heard a crack. Something broke. This sound gave me the determination to continue pressing into the wall, and break free. I heard more cracks pressing against the wall, until finally, I broke through the wall. The light that came into my eyes was so blinding that I had to close my eyes for about thirty seconds following.

Around me, I heard voices speaking. I didn't know if they were to me or to each other. All I knew was that I was getting a good intake of fresh air. I finally opened my eyes, after stretching my body out, trying my best to get the liquid on my body off. One of the figures on my left walked over to me and began licking my back. I could feel the warm saliva against my body. I purred at it.

I then opened my eyes and looked up at the figure who cleaned me. She was completely black, had some spikes on her snout, and yellow eyes. She spoke to me. As a newborn I had no idea what she was saying, but I assumed it was something good. I walked up to her—Dragons like myself pretty much are born with knowledge of how to walk—and brushed against her left leg. She looked down at me and smiled. She rubbed her head against mine. We both began purring.

I took this whole exchange as this dragon being my dam. My sire was someone who I still needed to find. I began looking around for my sire. There was only one other dragon in the room. He looked the same as my dam, but he had green eyes instead. My sire was before me. I moved away from my dam to meet the sire for the first time.

He looked down at me, and spoke to me, again to no knowledge of what he was saying. He leaned down and licked the top of my head. My eyes as a reflex closed, and I purred again.

I turned around and looked at my dam, expressing a smile. She smiled back down at me, and began walking out of the area we were in. She seemed to be headed in the direction of a hole in the room. I followed since she seemed to be looking back at me from the hole.

I caught up to my dam and followed her to where she was taking me. She lead me to a pool of water. I looked across the pool. The shimmering of the moon on the pool was a mesmerizing image. Even now it is, but back then, I was completely entranced by the shimmer.

However, the dam distracted me by pointing at the water. I looked down into it and I saw my reflection. At first, I didn't know what it was, but I tried moving my left paw, and the figure in the water mirrored me. The dots connected, and I discovered I was looking at myself. I shifted my gaze up to my dam, and she smiled down at me, before leaning down, sticking her tongue in the water, and drinking from it. I realized how thirsty I was, and followed suit.

After I'd had my share of water, I walked back to what I had worked out was a cave. The dam had already left, and I was now on my way back. When I returned, she was laying down in a ball, awaiting me. She was clearly very protective of me, so I thought it best that I don't try and let her down.

As I was exhausted, getting to sleep wouldn't take too long. Snuggling up against my dam was a catalyst to my getting to sleep. Curling up against my dam, I closed my eyes, and almost immediately feel asleep.

* * *

I awoke the next morning, and noticed my sire wasn't anywhere nearby. I thought it best for me to stay by my dam since she seemed to care the most about me. I could hear her stirring. I got onto my feet and stretched, crawling my way out from under the dam's wing.

I walked to the opening of the cave and looked out over the countryside. Obviously in my conception, I hadn't had much time to admire the scenery I had been born into. The world around me was extremely green. A hill was opposite my current living quarters, and I could see sheep lining the hill.

Suddenly, a yell came from in the cave, and I ran back inside to see what had happened. Turns out, my dam had awoken, and freaked out at not seeing me. Upon seeing me standing with my head slightly tilted to the side, she sighed in relief. She said something to me, and I just took it as a relief message.

I walked over and brushed against her legs. She licked the top of my head, and looked down at me, saying something else. At this point, what she was saying to me was now becoming clearer. I started to understand what she was saying, and knew pretty much how to speak myself. I didn't know what I was going to try and say first, but I knew one of these days I would say something to her and she would freak out.

A shadow passed over me, and I turned around to see my sire walk into the cave. My first thought was to walk over and brush against his leg, but I immediately noticed something wrong. He was covered in red. My dam walked over to him and licked off the red liquid across his body. Sire spoke to dam reassuringly. I was just left there watching them as they did whatever it was that they did. Dam walked over to me, and said another something to sire. This time I managed to make out words.

"He seems special," she said, "He's curious, he's smart, he's adventurous. I see good things in him."

Sire spoke after her, and I listened in.

"Yes, but the gods know what will happen to him. My imagination sees him lacking in a tailfin, and losing his ability to fly."

"Oh please, there's no way that could happen unless he starts up feuds with the Humans."

"Humans?" I said quietly. Sire and dam looked down at me in surprise, and I realized what I had done. The first word I had spoken was 'Humans.' However, the fact I had even spoken was what got to them. I looked at the floor in embarrassment.

"Have you just spoken?" Dam asked. I looked up and nodded, she walked over to me and licked the top of my head. "You truly are special, Eli*."

 _Now, that name, I soon discovered is a typical Human name, but us as Dragons use names that are pretty much identical to Human names. Eli is the most popular amongst us._

* * *

It was the middle of the night. I couldn't get to sleep because I was thinking about the events that transpired in the day. I now had a name, I could speak, and I was ecstatic about it. However, with all these thoughts running through my head, I was unable to get to sleep. However, my getting to sleep wouldn't matter.

I heard my Sire wake up, and go out of the cave. His wing flaps indicated that he had left.

What followed was an explosion.


	3. Fight or Flight

" _ **The natural human response to danger is fight. The natural dragon response to danger is flight, unless he has nowhere to go. That shows something about both creatures," Hellcutter, Night Terror**_

* * *

 _ **-Fight or Flight-**_

* * *

Dam yelled and screamed towards sire. I had no idea what I was supposed to fear, or why. I just had the knowledge that I was in danger. I could see lights outside of the cave, oscillating in brightness. I was now fully in the moment. My thoughts had been dominating my mind prior to this moment, and now I was focused on one thing: survival. Not that I knew how I would survive. The flight instincts within my subconscious were screaming at me, saying, _Survive! Survive! Survive!_

Dam stood up, and ran towards the opening of the cave. I was watching from the ground as a purple glow began filling in the cave. I heard fighting between my sire and dam, and whoever had come to kill us, I assumed. I looked around for some place to hide while I waited for the chaos to stop. Off to my left was a small arch that I knew I would be able to fit in. And, it seemed that I would be able to escape unnoticed. I stood, walked over to the hole and curled up inside it. As I listened to the sounds of fighting, I closed my eyes and began crying. I was worried for my sire and dam. All I hoped was that they would survive.

As I laid there weeping, the chaos had finally silenced. I tried listening for my sire and dam, but all I heard was a language I couldn't understand. There was not a whisper from either of them. Neither had entered the cave, neither had called my name. I feared for what had become of them. I watched the wall opposite me with tears streaming down my face, as I saw the lights coming the other creatures dimmed, until it was entirely gone.

I crawled out of the hole, and walked to the opening of the cave. I saw the lights again, as I now saw the figures whom had attacked us. They seemed to be rather tall, and walked on two legs. Usually it's only the kin-sharp spine who walk on two legs, but these looked nothing like them.

I could see the bodies of some kinds of creatures being dragged in carts behind them. It took me a mere few seconds to realize that these were the bodies of my sire and dam. As they were nowhere in sight, that would make sense.

As I had this realization, I broke down again. I began weeping and looked down at the ground. Now I was completely on my own. On my own to take care of myself. On my own to survive. I only hoped I would last long enough.

I walked down to the reservoir beside our cave, and looked out across it. My tears were still streaming down my face, and my body felt tired. Sleeping out in the open would probably lead to my death, so I would need to head back to the cave. But, part of me said that I wouldn't be able to get to sleep with these thoughts in my mind. It was best to try.

I took a few sips of the water, and headed back to the cave. My mind was incapable of taking itself away from the events that had just occurred. I looked behind me. The lights had faded out of view completely, and now, I was for sure alone.

As I walked into the cave, a thought came to my mind. I couldn't very well stay where I was if these creatures who had killed my sire and dam were nearby. I'd need to move away from there, to keep myself as safe as I could.

I tuned these thoughts out as I curled up and closed my eyes. Yawning one last time, I feel asleep.

* * *

The next morning was cold. I needed some way of making myself warmer. This was the third day I had even been in real existence, so I couldn't use my fire breath to make myself warm. Moving would probably help me to relieve myself of this ice-cold feeling over my body.

I stood, stretched, and shook my head to get the cold feeling off me. I walked to the opening of the cave. It seemed it was still early in the day, which would explain why it was so cold. I looked out over the landscape before me. It was weird for me to think that just beyond the hill was a murderous species of animal. My mind remained on my sire and dam for a few seconds before I shook the thought out of my head, and headed down to the reservoir.

I took a few sips of water, but then realized that I was extremely hungry. I had no idea how to hunt, as my sire would have brought me food in the morning. Now, I would have to find a way to get food on my own. I could see some figures swimming around in the water. These seemed like they would be good enough food for me, so I pounced on the nearest one. It narrowly escaped my grasp.

Continually I tried this. I needed to get myself some food before I died of hunger, so that thought spurred me on to catch these creatures in the water. That was until I heard a voice behind me. A soft, feminine voice that reminded me of my dam, making my heart beat a lot faster, and breath heavier. I turned around, hoping to see dam standing there, but she wasn't. Instead, it was a kin-rage fire, colored green. One of a smallish complexion and average stature. She spoke to me again when I was fully paying attention to her.

"You seem to be out here without your dam or sire, where are they?" She asked. I looked up at her with a face of sorrow. She immediately picked up on this factor. "Oh, I see. I'm so sorry, buddy."

I looked down into the water, and finally climbed out of the reservoir. This kin-fire rage seemed friendly. I'd been told to be careful around such Dragons the day prior, but I seemed perfectly safe with her.

"Well, I can get you some food if you need," She said. I nodded up at her. Immediately she pounced into the water, and caught one of the shadowy figures in the water. When she pulled it out of the water, using one of her claws, I saw what I was about to eat was a fish. At least, at the time I didn't know what that meant, so, when my parents said fish, I assumed this was what they were talking about. She brought the fish over to me, sliced it up a little and gave me half of it. I sniffed it, before I lifted it up into the air, and slid it directly down my throat, whole.

After my meal, I looked up at the kin-rage fire, and made a very low sound at her. She seemed to be sympathetic for me, so she lifted me by some of the skin on my back, placed me atop her back, and began walking away from my cave.

"So, what happened?" She asked me. I rolled my eyes in frustration. I didn't want to think about my sire and dam. However, she pressed on, "To your dam and sire, I mean. Where are they?"

I rolled my eyes again, and curled up on the back of the kin-rage fire. She sighed and gave up on questioning me about my sire and dam. But, she did continue to ask questions. "What's your name then?" Is one question she asked. I perked up and looked directly at the back of her neck before responding.

"Eli," I said. She nodded, and turned around to face me. She showed a pleasant smile, and spoke again. "My name's Rachel. Most common of the female names, unfortunately."

I nodded and curled back up and closed my eyes. I let my thoughts take over my mind entirely as I began to drift into sleep. My breathing became more relaxed. And, I quite quickly managed to tune out the outside world, and fall asleep.

* * *

I awoke with a warm feeling on my stomach. I felt quite cozy, but I knew I was no longer on the move. I opened my eyes. The area before me wasn't much. I seemed to be positioned underneath a tree. I soon noticed that I was in a forest. It seemed to be about midday, and I was laying on top of a warm pile of grass. It was a comfortable warm, something I didn't want to leave. However, my curious, adventurous and thrill-seeker mind wanted to see where I was.

I stood, stretched, and climbed down from the bed of grass. I looked around. It seemed peaceful now. Of course, I knew what was out there, and it wasn't good. The creatures who took my dam and sire were who I feared.

I noticed an arch made from leaves off to my left. A few figures were going past the opening, and it intrigued me, so I went to see what it was. However, I didn't expect to see what I saw. Out running and scampering around was about eight kin-rage fire dragons. By the looks of it, they were all about my age, if not a little older. They eventually noticed me, and stopped running around.

"Dam, who's that?" One of them asked. I looked up to see the familiar green of the kin-rage fire that had allegedly taken me here.

"Kids, this is Eli," Rachel said, "He's uh… well I don't know. What are you?"

I thought about it for a long moment. I never knew what my kin was called, so answering the question was impossible. I just shrugged.

"Well, he seems to be lacking in a dam and sire—sorry to put it that way—so I've taken him in to raise him."

One of them snarled at me. He seemed not at all interested in me. Difference in a family is something that not everyone is a fan of, so, in retrospect, I could see why he was snarling at me. However, this didn't become apparent to me as a young dragon hatchling until much later.

"He's going to be here a while, so I suggest you get used to him," Rachel said out of a short silence. I looked down at the ground, and turned back into the small living quarters I had been given. Even after getting good rest, I was still exhausted. Almost three and a half days into my life, and I had since lost my dam and sire, and now moved in with entirely different kin to me. Surely, that would have given me reason to rest my mind. If anything, though, I was happy that I now had a dam to take care of me. I wouldn't have lasted a week in the wilderness by myself.

But, thank the gods I was now able to get some decent rest. It was uncomfortable on Rachel's back, especially while we were moving. I was cold, I was tired, I was scared. Rest sounded brilliant by now. I laid myself atop the pile of grass, closed my eyes, and tried to get more sleep. It probably wouldn't have been too hard, if by the time I was about to fall completely asleep, I was brought back to reality by one of the hatchling kin-rage fire shrieking.

It had been a long thirty hours, and I just wanted to get some legit sleep. These kids were making it impossible for me. I groaned as I piled a few blades of grass over my head to block out the sound, which did the trick, as I was finally able to fall asleep.

* * *

I woke up in the middle of the night. It was cold again, but at least everything had calmed down since the events that transpired earlier that day. I stood, stretched and walked through the leaf arch. Rachel was resting by a fire, and the kids were nowhere to be found. She noticed me walk into her presence, and gave me another one of her pleasant smiles. I couldn't help but smile back.

"Get good rest?" She asked me. I shrugged. With the kids making all the noise they had, sleeping was almost impossible for me, but I was at least able to get some. It seemed I had gotten about nine or ten hours of sleep. She continued, "Good. You seemed exhausted, and you have since I picked you up."

"Well, I guess I'm just a little tired after all I went through," I said to her. The longest sentence I had ever said was one to someone who wasn't related to me.

"Well, Eli, the kids have gone to bed, so if you don't mind my asking, I'd like to ask you a few questions."

My heart sank. I was hoping to avoid this if possible, but it was bound to happen eventually. I laid down by the fire, and looked up at her, giving a nod.

"Okay, so, where are your sire and dam?" She asked me. I looked up at her with a look suggesting 'you know where they are.' But I answered anyway.

"I can't say I know fully, but I do know who took them."

"Who?"

"These two-legged creatures. Almost like kin-sharp spine, but they didn't have wings."

She gasped before she responded. "You know those creatures are humans, right?" My heart stopped. The creatures who happened to be my first spoken word were also the creatures who took my parents away from me. The rage was filling up in my chest, and I wanted to scream, but I tried my best to hold it in.

"I know that must be hard for you to grasp."

"You think?"

"Well, you've at least got someone to look after you currently."

I smiled, looking up at Rachel. Her hospitality was something I hadn't expected to hear from a kin-rage fire. But, here we were, and it was a welcome surprise.

"I'll raise you, I'll keep you safe, I'll make sure you grow up strong Eli."


	4. Friendship

" _ **It's truly surprising how dragons are better at making friends than humans." -Skreecher, Terrible Terror**_

* * *

 _ **-Friendship-  
**_

* * *

Two weeks had passed. I'd become accustomed to living with these kin-rage fires, and I'd even developed great relationships with seven of eight of them, the eighth being the one who seemed to not really like me. There were four boys and four girls, names consisting of: Tyler, Danielle (or Danny), David, Kathryn, Brandon, Ana, Eli, and Agnes. Obviously, the one named Eli had some problems with my name being Eli, too. And, I'm pretty sure he was the oldest of the group, but only by a few hours, I wasn't sure though. It wasn't my business to ask.

I'd also met the sire of the group, whose name I learned was Logan. He seemed like a nice guy, but he also seemed protective, which was fine by me, I needed someone to protect me like him, especially as I didn't really know how protective my dam and sire were.

And, finally, I learned about their nicknames. The first real day I was there, I heard Rachel call Brandon 'Silverhorn,' which I was confused about initially. But, Rachel picked up on, and told me, "Sorry, should have mentioned, we have nicknames for each of us. For example, Brandon is Silverhorn, Tyler is Crookedclaw, Danny is Silvereye, David is Flameripper, Kathryn is Snowfang, Ana is Frostsong, Eli is Shiverwing, and Agnes is Hookback. Each of the nicknames are basically just describing some characteristic about each of them. Most often they're obvious, but others aren't so obvious."

"What will I get, then?" I asked. Rachel looked up to the leaves on the ceiling in thought. Clearly, there wasn't a major quality about me that would be so worth note. But, what she said she wanted to give me as a nickname was something I'm surprised wasn't just her initial thought.

"Can you open your mouth?" She asked. I obliged. I'd wondered why the others had teeth, and I didn't. It wasn't something that was too worth complaining about. After inspection in my mouth, she continued, "We'll call you Toothless."

"Really? That's what your giving him?" Shiverwing said, rather annoyed. "Why couldn't you call him, like, I don't know, Hollowtooth or something?"

"Because, Hollowtooth is ridiculous," Snowfang said in response to her clearly irritable brother, "At least she's giving him a name that he most likely won't be embarrassed about. I think Toothless is an awesome name."

"Precisely Snowfang," Rachel said through this rather short argument. "And, he seems to be the only left of his kin, so, that's already something that will really mean that he'd get bullied by other dragons. Giving him an embarrassing name is adding to their ammunition against him."

Shiverwing growled, turning around and heading towards a pile of leaves he called his bed. Rachel groaned and turned back to me, before she continued to speak. "Sorry, yeah, we have some nicknames, and it seems he's not happy with yours."

"He doesn't seem happy about me in general," I answered, rolling my eyes and looking back over at Shiverwing. I noticed tears streaming down his face, and his shoulders were shaking. Clearly, he was crying, so, my natural reaction was to go over to him and give him some comfort, which I did. Even he was a fan of me, I should make an example and be nice to him in return.

As I approached, he looked directly at me in the eyes, and glared at me, the tears still streaming down his face. Even despite my brain saying that this wasn't a good idea, I continued to walk up to the crying dragon.

"What?" Shiverwing said, bluntly. I didn't change anything about the way I held myself, or the way I walked. I just confidently continued to walk up to him, and laid down beside him. He seemed rather uncomfortable, like he'd never seen this before. However, he eventually calmed down.

"Shiverwing, what's wrong?" I said, calmly talking to him. He was unsure of how to respond, but the response I got was exactly what I was expecting.

"Why do you care?" He said. As I expected to hear this, I remained calm and talked to him politely, as I normally would.

"Because, whether you're related to me or not, for the time being, you're my brother. And, no matter what, I need to think of you as such, as you should to me. So long as respect goes both ways, I'm happy to talk with you about anything that's on your mind. Now, let me ask again. Shiverwing, what's wrong?"

Shiverwing looked directly at me with this look of surprise. His reaction I expected, but his response wasn't something that I was expecting.

"You won't be mad at me?" He asked, scrunching his face together hoping for a good response.

"I absolutely will not. So long as you speak respectfully, I'll listen."

"Okay…" Shiverwing answered. After that he hesitated. He clearly wasn't sure how to word it, but eventually he said it completely bluntly, which surprised me. "I'll be completely blunt with you and say that I am kind of angry that you're here. I guess it's got something to do with me being used to tradition."

"That was something I picked up on when I looked at you the day I showed up. You seemed a little unhappy that I'd showed up. It was the way you looked at me and snarled at me that gave it away. If you're not happy with me that's fine, but try not to let it out."

He nodded. I rubbed my head against his and stood to head back to the rest of the group. However, he said something to me before I went back.

"Toothless," He said, quietly, but loud enough for me to hear. "Ya know, I guess I'd judged you to early. You do seem like a good dude, I just needed to talk to you first. Thanks for this, I'm happy we talked."

I nodded and went back to the group.

* * *

Four weeks passed after that exchange with Shiverwing. *He and I talked about the problems that we have on a regular basis*. One time I'd been a little stressed out, and upset thinking about my sire and dam, and we just talked for about an hour straight about it. Another time, he was a little upset with his sire, and he just wanted to vent to me.

Outside of occasional therapy sessions that we had, we did become better friends, and would often eat next to each other. We also would often walk together when we went out. The occasional banter would come up, but it was playful banter.

As a hatchling dragon, even at six weeks into my life, I had a lot of energy. Playing a game was one way to get rid of all that energy. I'd always ask Shiverwing if he wanted to play with me, and he would always say yes. We'd play such games as tag, hide and seek, and, our personal favorite was a little game we came up with called 'Who can annoy our siblings first?' The strategy was trying to seem casual, but try and annoy the heck out of our siblings, within ten minutes. Our scores of were tied up at this point. Once we managed to annoy all our siblings to the point of being rather upset at us—individually, we would count how many us as ourselves had annoyed, and whoever had the most would be the winner for that round. The next round would be the tiebreaker round. Whoever won that would win the first season of WCAOSF, as we abbreviated it to.

And, today, was the day of the final game. It had been a week since the game where I tied up with Shiverwing. Now was the tiebreaker round, and we would see who the best was at annoying our siblings.

I woke up long after the rest of the siblings, but at around the same time as Shiverwing. I stood from my grass bed and went straight to Shiverwing to see if he was up. He was, and I spoke.

"Hey, Shiver, you ready?" I said, quietly to not scare him. He turned and looked at me. His familiar smile was being expressed. I popped a smirk, and a sly look at him. "Then, let's go!"

Shiverwing stood and walked straight into the main area of our living space. We'd managed to get Logan involved with our little game. He was our adjudicator. He counted us down for beginning, gave us occasional time warnings. One at five minutes, one at two and a half, one at one minute, and one at thirty seconds.

We went straight up to him, expressing grins, and he immediately knew what was about to happen. His grin began to grow, and he nodded at us.

"You guys ready?" He asked. We both nodded. "Okay, remember the rules: you must start on opposite sides of the 'arena,' you can't cooperate to annoy your siblings, keep track of how many points you've gotten. If you get eight, then whoever makes it to me first is the winner. If the ten minutes ends before you hit eight, whoever has the most is the winner. Makes sense?" We nodded. "Okay, you ready?" Another nod, "Three…" The tension began building over something that will only serve as bragging rights. "Two…" The tension built higher, even though we didn't have any reason to be nervous. "One…" Shiverwing and I crouched down on our front paws, preparing to run straight to our first target. "Go!"

We both ran straight to who we decided would be the first kin who we would try our best to annoy. My first target was Snowfang. I knew she would be easiest to get to annoyed state. Pretty early on in our competition, we decided to make it go to the point that our kin said something along the lines of, 'Can you leave me alone?'

"Hi, Snow!" I said, so cheerily that even I became annoyed at it. She turned towards me and groaned. I knew I was already off to a great start. And, even if I became annoyed at my own comment, I knew the others would too.

"What, Toothless?!" She responded forcefully. I knew I was on a roll already. If she seemed annoyed already, the rest wouldn't be too hard.

"Whatch'ya up to?" I said, again cheerily, even to the point I cringed externally.

"Toothless, can you leave me alone?"

I laughed internally, but obliged to leave her alone externally. After that, it was off to the next target. This continued for the whole ten minutes. I'd managed to get seven out of eight. When time was called, I hoped that Shiver wouldn't have gotten anywhere near as many. Turns out, he got six of them. When he announced it, he made the 's' sound last for a long time. But, when he said six, I immediately broke into laughter. It was a nice way to end off our first season.

 _*Dragons often will speak to each other to work out their problems, even as hatchlings._

* * *

Shiver and I continued to take our regular therapy sessions together. We'd play consistently. We had a schedule for when we'd play games. Once a day we'd play 'Hide and Seek.' Every other day, we'd play 'tag'. And once a week, we'd get together and try to come up with new game ideas. So far, since the end of the first season of WCASOF, we'd come up with nothing.

This morning wasn't any different for either of us. Not even Logan, who always met with us when we tried to come up with games, couldn't come up with anything at all. In the past, he'd suggested games, but Shiver and I didn't like the ideas. Today, we decided to not get together, and rather just play our 'Hide and Seek' and 'Tag.'

For 'Hide and Seek,' *Shiver would hide first, once I found him, he and I would switch out. For tag, it was 'hit the deck,' and whoever hit last would be 'it' first. This would continue to be the way we did it.

The games would be done in the early morning, and afterwards, it was to whatever schedule was set up by Rachel for the day. Usually, we'd be given free time, which we had already spent that morning, so Shiver and I would be so tired that we go back to sleep. As usual, this continued to be our schedule every day.

However, come the first winter, we were not allowed to go outside without Rachel or Logan, which was completely okay. The one problem is that this one winter happened to be the coldest, so I'm told. We spent most of it snuggled up against Rachel or Logan, but other than that, we didn't do much.

My first winter ended well. On one random day, we basically spent what we call a 'Winterday,' which is like a birthday. Mine was the last, which was apparently the best day for me to have a Winterday. I was happy, Shiver was happy for me, and the other siblings were still rather annoyed at me and Shiver for annoying them.

So, I would finally experience my first actual Spring, and I was looking forward to it.

 _*Dragons can't sense another dragons presence until they've surpassed ten winters._


	5. The First Spring

" _ **Despite what most will say, Spring is actually the best season for dragons. Peoples favorite is subjective though." Boneeyes, Thunderdrum.**_

* * *

 _ **-The First Spring-**_

* * *

Spring had sprung, or at least to the world. To the society we lived in, we needed to have some ceremony for Spring to have 'actually' sprung. Today was the day we were going to attend this ceremony. Shiver and I felt the exact same way about this whole thing: pointless. To us, if the world said it was Spring, it was Spring. We didn't need some ceremony to have Spring be official. I was happy to attend this thing anyway, since it would be the first time I did, but I knew that after this point, I wouldn't be happy about going to it.

We had to leave when the sun crested in the sky. Noon, as Rachel seemed to like calling it. Shiver and I continued our therapy sessions. Today, my problems were that I feared our siblings, as was he, and the resolution we rested on was that we should probably explain what had been going on. Of course, we wouldn't be able to do the next season at our own homestead, which meant, we'd have to find out how to have a second season.

Shiver's problems were consisting of just general stress, which was something that apparently resolved when I spoke with him. I thought that was a nice thing to hear. I rubbed my head against his and, we both released some light purrs.

"Boys!" we heard Rachel call, "It's time to go!"

Shiver was first to rise. He stretched out and walked out of my general vicinity. I yawned, stood to stretch myself out and follow suit. This was one of the more nerve-racking experiences that I would be going through. Under the normal 'going out' circumstances, we would be trying to keep me amongst the crowd as discretely as possible, and trying to avoid eyes. And, even then, there weren't many people to be concerned about. But, I'd heard that there were so many more people at these kinds of ceremonies. The least amount of people one year being just under five hundred. I might become a little more exposed in this scenario.

However, on the other hand, there was the idea that I could make more friends, and learn about new kin. And, who knows, maybe I wouldn't face any problems, and respect will be shown. My usual policy is that respect goes both ways. Respect towards me, I respect back. That's how I wish everyone operated, but the world can never be so kind.

Either way, I'd have to find out how people would react to me, my presence, and attitude. Since I'm the last one of _my_ kind, I would likely get asked questions about what I am, who I am, where my kin are, and what happened to them.

It was time to face the music.

* * *

I'm sure that you've been asking how transportation from place to place would be executed, so I'll answer if I had to walk or Rachel would take us. The answer is: Rachel would carry us on her back. This time was no different. Apparently, there was a city of some kind near where I was living, and that's where we were headed.

We'd been on the move for about twenty minutes at this point. I'd been looking at the scenery surrounding, as was Shiver. We'd talked occasionally, but for the most part, we'd been watching the trees roll by. The colors were quite something to look at. Despite being green for the most part, there were some reds and yellows around. And, I saw cherry blossoms around as well.

However, the time I spent in my mind was exponentially larger than everything else. I imagined what possibilities I would go through. People flocking around me and asking what I was, where I was from, why I was with different kin. It was something that I didn't want to have to face, so, I'd try to lay low, as to avoid the press.

I could see a canopy on the horizon. A few hundred trees put together to make such a canopy. Apparently, this is the place we were headed. When Rachel said city, I didn't really know what to expect. So, I guess I was now experiencing what it was like in a city of some sort. At the very least, it's a dragon society.

"Toothless, we're getting close," Rachel said, spooking me out of my thoughts. I jumped and looked around in shock. I felt and heard Rachel giggling, as she caught onto what I had just done. "Did I scare you? Sorry." She continued to giggle.

Shiver seemed to be sniggering to himself, which I was content with. He and I had become so close that I was okay with him sniggering at my mishaps, as he was with me. I giggled quietly to myself and turned to look at the passing trees. I noticed some of them still didn't have leaves on them. Sure, it was about four weeks into Spring, but they should have sprouted leaves at this point.

Either way, it was still pretty to look at. I love nature. Overall, I would say it's the one thing I'll try to get involved with more when I need to clear my mind.

Within a few minutes, we arrived in the small dragon society. A few dragons of kin were milling around, adult and hatchling alike. Some took notice of us arriving, and gave us pleasant smiles and nods.

Eventually, we reached the plaza.

* * *

There were plenty of dragons surrounding my little group. They weren't pressing for info about me, but some seemed to be eying me. It was uncomfortable, to say the least about it. Some tried to make conversation with me, but their sire or dam would drag them away before they could say anything.

Apparently, two minutes remained until the ceremony would start. Shiver and I had snuggled up next to dam and tried getting some extra sleep. It was truly relaxing, despite all the noise happening around us. If anything, it was more relaxing to hear the ambience around us.

In all my relaxing though, I had a thought about what my sire had said the day after I was born. 'My imagination sees him lacking in a tailfin, and losing the ability to fly.' He said. I hadn't noticed my tailfins until just now, since this thought was now on my mind. I guess he saw me losing my ability to fly, which I knew I would have to learn eventually. Might not be today, might not be tomorrow, might not be at all.

However, before I had time to think about what might happen to my flight, a voice spoke up. A young, adult male dragon. Kin I hadn't seen before, but I knew happened to be the kin-sharp spine. He was green, had numerous spines on his tail, lots of spikes on his head. He was quite the specimen. His voice was quiet, smooth and elegant.

"Ladies, Gentlemen, and hatchlings of all ages, welcome to the nineteenth annual spring festival. The main authority here in Black Hollows are excited to host each one of you. Before we get to the main festivities, I should introduce those who lead this tribe. My name is Jeremy, I'm the chieftain of this place. Beside me is Jaqueline, my mate. And, last, behind me is my friend, colleague, partner in crime and running man, Isaac.

"Alrighty, with that out of the way, I understand that there are kids here who might get a bit antsy if we don't make this quick, so we'll get the Spring initiation out of the really quick. Our usual procedure for the start of Spring is to have a written speech from Jaqueline here, and a toss of the provided leaves up in the air. So, I'd like to pass the time over to Jaqueline for this speech."

He nodded, there were cheers from the crowd, and Jaqueline walked up to the edge of the hill to speak. When the cheering silenced, she began.

"Everyone in the dragon world: it is our honor and privilege to host you this year for the initiation of Spring. All of us here in Black Hollows believe in tradition, so we were happy to hear that we were the hosts for this one. So, let's begin. You have been provided with a bag of leaves. On the count of three, you will open them and throw them in the air. Is everyone ready?" Cheers followed. "One… two… three…" And with that, everyone threw the bags up in the air. I hadn't been given one, but I still enjoyed seeing the leaves falling from the sky.

I closed my eyes as they landed on me and the other dragons around me.

* * *

The night had gone alright so far. No one had come up to me asking about me, and I had been sticking around Rachel and Shiver. The others had gone off to hang out with the other dragons around the place. Shiver would have gone, but he seemed to be more interested in hanging out with me. Rachel had asked us if we were interested in food, and every time, we had said we were fine for food.

However, the first real interaction of the night was about to happen. I was still attempting to get some sleep, when I heard some footsteps. Opening my eyes and looking up, new kin was approaching. It had two heads, which spooked me.

"Oh, Nate, hi!" Rachel said, cheerily. I looked to her and back at the new kin. He seemed to be smiling back at her. What confused me was if he had two brains. It wasn't my place to ask, so I let it be for right now.

"Hi, Rachel," the assumed Nate said in return. "Who's this?" He looked down at me.

"Ah, Nate. I'd like you to meet Toothless. I'm not sure what his kin is, but his sire and dam were killed by the humans around this time last year, right?" I thought about it. It really was a year ago that my sire and dam were kill, wasn't it? I looked up at Nate and nodded. He sighed before responding.

"Ah, I'm sorry kiddo. I guess Rachel took you in then?" Rachel nodded.

"I came across him when I was looking for a new reservoir to scout. He was pouncing in the lake trying to catch fish. I helped him and got him some, and took him in. He wouldn't survive too long on his own."

"Oh, wow. Jeez, buddy. I'm so sorry for what you've been through. Trust me when I say your in good claws though."

"I really hope so." I said, closing my eyes and remembering the tragic first couple of days. My eyes began welling up, and a sing tear ran down my face. I felt breath on the left side of my face. I opened my eyes, seeing Nate down at my level.

"Hey, don't worry kid. You've got a lot of life ahead of you. And, you have yet to learn to fly."


	6. Sky High

" _ **A pinnacle part of a dragon's life is when he learns to fly." Rageripper, Typhoomerang**_

* * *

 _ **-Sky High-**_

* * *

I'm not going to lie at all, the four years following my first spring ceremony have been pretty uneventful. This is the point where everything was utterly mundane and took so long that I don't have many episodic memories of it. Shiver and I had finished up with any therapy sessions we were having; both of us had become very happy about our positions in life, so we saw no reason to continue. We'd explained what was going on during the year prior to our siblings, and they took it well. Aside from that, however, there was nothing of huge note.

But, in the summer before I turned five winters old, the most important part of my adolescent life would be happening. The day I would learn to fly.

I hadn't used the muscles in my wings much yet, so they were a little stiff. Needing to stretch out my wings was the one time I would use them but aside from that, they weren't used. Now though, they'd be getting the most use they'd receive in a long time.

Logan would be teaching us flight, since Rachel was taking care of some stuff. Her usual calm and casual nature had been destroyed by her sudden need to work on six things all day. Right now, she was in a meeting with a kin-sharp spine. I wasn't sure why, but I didn't have reason to question it.

Logan taken us to a cliffside that had quite the view of the ocean, though I had discovered that I have a fear of heights. This was going to be a rough couple of hours.

I didn't expect to take to long learning flight; I learn quite quickly as evidenced by my ability to pick up on language the second day of my life and rational thinking the same day. However, this would be the hardest challenge I had faced.

Logan had us lined up by name, which naturally meant I was last in line. He would take each of us individually and give us the basics, which also meant I was going to have to wait a while. Shiver would be going a little before me, so we got to hang out and talk about how excited we were for learning to fly.

The time flew by, no pun intended and before I knew it, it was my turn to learn the basics. Logan came up to me and spoke.

"Well, T, you ready?" He said. I nodded in response, and stood from the spot where I was laying. He took me over to the edge of the cliffside. I looked over and what I saw was the ocean, which was utterly terrifying. I looked up at Logan and he began laughing. "Oh, Toothless, look kiddo, the water can't hurt you… well, uh, not if you come across kin-boiler belly, or kin-sonic roar… or kin—"

"Okay, Logan, I get it. Basically, I'm not safe if I come across all those kin," I said, cutting off Logan. I looked back down over the cliff's edge. Logan continued to laugh.

"Okay buddy, you won this time. Anyway, let's get down to business. Your wings are your best friend when your flying. That might seem like a given, but most dragons who start learning to fly don't realize how invaluable they are. Obviously, it's how you stay up in the sky, but the fact of the matter is that you've got to do a lot of focusing to fly for hours on end. It's especially difficult for kin-lava breath, since they have small wings," he explained.

"Anyway, you obviously want to get down to it so, let's get started. Your take-off position consists of you crouching down on your front legs like so," He demonstrated the form by crouching down, shifting all of his weight on his front legs.

I followed his movements. "Next, you're going to spring up. Like this," He jumped up in the air gaining quite a large amount of height from it. I repeated his actions and I noticed how high I got. I ended up almost seven feet high, or so Logan told me.

I didn't feel as scared as I used to be. So, I asked that he take me straight to flying, to which he obliged to almost immediately.

"Well, when you're in the takeoff position, you're going to ready your wings by opening them halfway out. For when you jump up into the air, open them fully and lower them as low as you can." He performed the actions he described and began hovering in the air to describe the next part of the flying procedure. "When hovering, try to get your wings into a steady rhythm like this. Now, if you want to gain height, just beat faster. When you're gliding, you won't need to pump your wings much if not at all."

"Now, when you want to gain height quickly, you'll face in the direction you want to go, but your wings will pump parallel to the ground. Go ahead and give it a shot."

I tried my best to remember everything Logan just described and attempted to replicate what he was doing. Sorry to disappoint but I'm not perfect, so I flopped straight onto the ground. We both shared a good giggle and I tried again. Again, not perfect so I'll admit it that I flopped about… twenty times. Needless to say, we laughed about it for about for a good fifteen minutes straight.

However, luck finally came my way for the twenty-first attempt; I crouched, jumped and began pumping my wings. I closed my eyes and winced, bearing my teeth expecting to feel myself hit the ground. But it never happened. I slowly opened my eyes and noticed that I was staying in place above the ground. I looked straight down, and saw that I wasn't touching the ground. I exploded into joyous laughter.

"YES! HA HA!" I exclaimed.

This was the most euphoric I had felt since Rachel took me in. "Yes, I got it! Oh, yes!"

"Very well done, Toothless!" Logan said to me from the ground. "Now, try flying around, see what you've got."

I beat my wings and tried moving around. I'd always wondered how the other dragons made it look so effortless and here we were, discovering how it easy it was on our own. If we simply wanted to fly around for fun or sport, turns out it was much easier than I thought. I tried turning to the left, and it seemed like all I had to do was think about it. I tried going straight up and again it was entirely effortless. I tried landing, and that was where I had struggles. Logan hadn't told me how to land, and I just crashed straight into the ground. I rose and shook my head to get rid of the dizziness. Then, I burst into laughter, as did Logan.

We both sat there giggling for a little while before we were calm enough to have a somewhat normal conversation. "Well, I guess I should have told you about landing, shouldn't I?" Logan said, still chuckling.

"Well, for landing, you're going to want to land with your back legs first. Since your tail is what is supplying your balance, if you land with your back legs and tail first, you can keep your balance. Give it a shot," Logan explained.

I jumped up in the air and began flight again. I showboated around a bit to get some more standard flying practice in, and once I had done that, I tried what Logan told me. And, it worked. I dropped my tail to the ground first, then my back legs, and landed comfortably on my front legs. I looked at Logan who was giving me a proud smile and nod.

"Fantastic, Toothless!" He said. I smiled up at him and was about to leave the area when he stopped me to tell me a very important something. "I see some seriously good things for you, buddy. You will go far in this world. Next year, you'll be going out into the world on your own, but this will be the last time I see you. I wish you the best of luck."

"Wait, why won't I see you again?" I asked, tilting my head to one side and giving a questioning glance. He sighed before he continued.

"I'm afraid that this is my last full day on this world with you. Tomorrow at around midday, I will be dying. A victim of Brain Ache, which is an incurable disease that releases a toxin your brain. Lethal to dragons. My meeting with death is scheduled for tomorrow at noon."

I listened intently as I held back the welling pain in my throat. "Do the others know?" I asked, maintaining the calm façade whilst my heart twisted with an agonizing pain.

"Yes. They've known since my diagnosis in the spring of two winters ago. I'm told that it's a shock that I've lasted this long."

"Why didn't you tell me this before?"

"I was waiting out for the right moment where I could be alone with you and this was the only time I could find. I know it causes harsh emotions amongst the others, so I didn't want to discuss it with you until I knew for certain that we were alone," his tone was solemn as his luminescent eyes cast downwards.

A lone tear fell down my cheek. I closed my eyes, turned around and began walking to the rest of the group.

* * *

The day had arrived. The day that I had been dreading since I heard the sorrowful ultimatum; the day Logan would die. I didn't want to wake up until I knew for certain it was over, but I got woken up by Shiver butting me in the side. I opened my eyes and looked at him.

"It's time, Toothless." I shook my head, covered my face with my tail and tried to get back to sleep. "You can't stay here, T. You must say good bye." I opened my eyes again.

"Why? Can't I suffer in peace?" I mumbled, fixating my gaze on a single blade of grass.

Shiver shook his head softly. "No, he wants to see you."

I stood and followed Shiver to the location of Logan. He was laying there, eyes closed. I could see his weakness. Clearly the toxin had taken its toll on him. I nearly broke down on the spot, but I swallowed hard and entered the den nonetheless.

I sighed. "Hello, Logan." I said as I entered. He opened his eyes and looked up at me with a weak stare and smile.

"Toothless. Did you sleep well?" he tried to smile despite his weak state.

"No. I've been worried about you all night."

"Well, this was coming, and I was bound to die at some point anyway. I Just didn't think it would be today," Logan murmured.

"Yeah." I scoffed.

"Toothless. I want you to know one thing. I have some extreme respect for you. It takes an immense amount of talent to learn flight that quickly. I see good things for you in the future." His voice was becoming weaker.

"Thank you." Drawing a deep breath, I looked up at the sky, to see what the time was; noon was passing and so it was that his time had come. I wanted to say my final goodbye's, but he interrupted me before I had the chance.

"Take care of yourself, Toothless." He found the luminous green of my young eyes, the shimmering light full of life as the final drops of his own wasted away.

His eyes finally closed to the darkness with a soft breath of air, the last to leave his lungs as death rested him to an eternal sleep.


	7. Memories Follow Me

" _ **I hope you realize how proud I am of you." Logan, Monstrous Nightmare. My Friend and Former Step-Sire.**_

* * *

 _ **-Memories Follow Me-**_

* * *

I think it goes without saying that the following weeks were incredibly hard. My connection with Logan built over several winters had all but left an inevitable hole. If there were a time in which to pay tribute to his memory, I suppose now seems most appropriate. Logan, as much a sire as he was to his own children, he never failed to include me as one of his own. I suppose there is a human word to better explain what this might mean, one that might shed more light onto the figure he was; a father. I also realize that I never actually explained how we first met instead gliding over that detail to talk about forging the bond between Shiver and myself. So, with that in mind, my story will be returned to in due time, so as to reflect on Logan's memory and share some of those moments.

* * *

 _Many Winters ago…_

The first time I met Logan was about four days after Rachel had taken me in. He'd been on a trip to the alpha of their kin as he called her. Apparently, this alpha was known to use her call as a hypnotic influence on other dragons and use them for her own desires; hunting for food mostly unless there was another matter involving rivals. Logan was not one to spare details on the matter either. Apparently if her request was not met or she was served wrong, you would be eaten yourself. I was also told that she was an enormous, enough so that even the bravest of dragons would become weak at the knees in her presence. Little did I know but I would learn who this dragon was in many winters to come. Funny how some 'fortunes' becomes the cause for others.

The day I first met Logan, I remember that I was lying in my normal personal living quarters, thinking calmly to myself and playing with some of the blades of grass on the ground, when I heard a voice at the archway that opened into the main living area; a young, adult males voice. I looked up to be met with the green and blue colors of the Kin-Rage Fire that I would later learn is Logan.

"Hello there little one. I don't think I've seen you before," he spoke calmly with a hint of curiosity, one I would learn to be quite common regarding myself. "What is your name?"

"Um, Eli," I responded, unsure.

"Ah, so, have you not been told?" The Kin-Rage-Fire asked.

"Told what?" I replied very softly, still lost to his meaning.

"Rachel will tell you soon," he gave me a gentle smile and walked away.

I couldn't help but smile myself as continued to play with the blades of grass. I was hoping I would be able to talk to him more, but I hadn't received his name. He seemed to notice too as he appeared in the archway again.

"Sorry, I forget to mention. My name is Logan," he nodded and walked away again.

* * *

The second moment with Logan was when he found me and Shiver playing WCAOSF, and he wanted to join in, at least in some way, whether it be playing or being a judge. Shiver and I unanimously decided to have a judge instead. At the time, I assumed I was winning and was about to try and annoy Frostsong, but I noticed Logan enter the area. Immediately I had a feeling I would be in trouble but at this point I didn't know how laidback Logan was. The very first thing he did was walk up to me in a tone far less formal to when we first met.

"Hey Eli, what you up to?" He sounded cheery and there was a glint of amusement in his eye.

"Shiver and I are trying to annoy our siblings." I whispered back to him.

He immediately burst into laughter clearly not expecting that answer but nonetheless he was seemed quite ok with it. A little too okay even. "Wow, kiddo!" He said, still cackling a little. "Well, don't let me get in the way… Unless, you'd like me to join. I mean I know a thing two?"

I hesitated at the offer. "Umm… I'd have to talk with Shiver, but we could probably share a space or make a new position. Maybe we'll turn you into a judge of some kind."

Logan waited behind as I ran off to get Frostsong. In the end, Shiver won this game all before we met up to compared scores and there it was that I brought up Logan's proposal.

"Hey Shiver, Logan talked to me a few minutes ago. He wants to get involved in our game somehow. What do you think?" I proposed.

"Hmm… I think it would be great for us to have someone time our games. We lose track of time a lot so him counting out our ten minutes will help us. He could also be a judge, which would definitely help get a pretty unbiased opinion," Shiver contemplated, concluding.

"Yeah. That's what I was thinking. We really need an unbiased opinion, even if he is our sire. He can't pick one or the other of us just because we're his favorite" I concurred.

With a toothy smile, Shiver replied. "Awesome, let's go talk to him then."

Turns out we didn't need to go on a search for Logan as he ended up trotting to us first. His voice came from behind and made us jump. I released a small screech, while Shiver let out a loud scream only for Logan and I burst into laughter.

"You okay, Shiver?" Logan said, still laughing. "You seem jumpier than usual today."

"Uh… no, I'm fine," Shiver answered, only to immediately say "I'm not. You scared the scales off me."

"I guess you've molted quicker then," I remarked.

"Toothless, dragons don't molt until they surpass twelve winters old, on average," Shiver said.

"I am aware of this," I sassed with a cunning smirk.

"That's what we call a whoosh. You missed his joke," Logan said, "And, anyway, a few other things happen at about that age. We'll discuss that when we get to it."

"Anyway!" I exclaimed, trying to get off the awkward topic that we were about to get into. "Logan, we've decided that you are going to be our judge for our game. You will keep track of our time and give us the most unbiased opinion you can."

"Okay, sweet. I look forward to it." Logan replied with enthusiasm

Shiver and I smiled, gave a nod, and walked in our separate directions…

* * *

There's one more story with Logan that I was thinking of telling, but the matters of which we discussed were, how do I put this; uncomfortable. So, I spent a little while thinking of some other experiences that I shared with Logan. The story I thought of was when Logan took Shiver and I out to a reservoir, though the actual part of the story I want to share is when Logan came to ask me about whether we wanted to go or not. It was just past noon, and I was playing with the blades of grass again when Logan dropped by my den.

"Hey buddy. How're you doing?" He asked.

"Playing with my usual eight blades of grass." I replied with obvious boredom.

"Guess that means you aren't too busy," he cast a knowing look to which I rolled my eyes. "I've noticed you and Shiverwing getting along better lately. I'd like to take you and him to a reservoir."

"Sure. Have you asked Shiver yet?" I inquired.

"Yeah. He's good to go. So, what do you say we get going?" His tone was to inspire some sort of interest but honestly, anything was better than my grass at this point.

"Sounds good to me," I replied pushing myself off the ground.

I wandered out of my den and saw Shiver standing at the opening to our living quarters. As he looked off into the distance clearly lost in deep thought, a prank was afoot. I snuck up as quietly and slowly as I could to get him a jump scare.

I never would have presumed but the joke was on me as he turned around and calmly said, 'Toothless.' I let out a yelp and collapsed on the ground.

Logan and Shiver both began laughing at me though, I soon joined unable to resist the contagious humour. Rolling back onto my feet, I cast him a humorous glare with the intention of both payback and silent admiration. Once again finding a settled state of mind, the three of us journeyed off to the reservoir.

* * *

oOo

If not just a few, they were still memories I have reassured to this day. However, life continues into the great beyond and I say this knowing that from here my life enters the early stages of a great journey that forever changed the fate of the world. As I have said before, the weeks following Logan's death were a bit rough. That first day, no one spoke to one another and we all stayed in our dens; the same eight blades of grass didn't seem so green anymore. Shiver eventually come into my den later that afternoon laying down beside me but still, we again said nothing. The next day was largely the same with the main difference being that we finally left our dens. Shiver and I hung out for the entire day, but our slow breathing was the only constant between us aside from the rustling of the leaves in the wind and the sounds of thunder off in the distance.

The third day brought an endless stream of rain and the thunder lasted for most of the evening. Shiver and I finally broke the barrier of silence and shared our first words since Logan's departure from this world. We asked one other if we were okay and that was really the only conversation that we had. The same day, all of us got together under a tree outside of our main living quarters yet not a single word was shared. I drew in the dirt in front of me and Shiver watched over my shoulder. It was entirely nonsensical simply carving lines in the earth wherever my heart pulled, be it lazy loops or short strokes.

The fourth day was the day we finally shared words as a group. We ignored the topic that had kept us silent for the last three days as much as we couldn't stop thinking about it. It wasn't as a point to ignore what had happened, that was unachievable but more as a focus on the present and future. In short, we just tried to be casual about our conversations. Though strangely enough, it's harder than it sounds. The fifth day was where life finally shone a beam of normality as we returned to our regular activities. Our general conversations would find their highs and sometimes there'd be a moment where silence would overcome us before we disbanded to avoid the sensitive subject in the air. It was no secret we were still trying to avoid the topic in question. There was a moment during the day were both Shiver and I were close to tears.

However, on the turn of the sixth day I had a little something planned that would be put into action. I'd stayed awake all night until I deemed it was time. The moon had long since crested, I looked up to the sky and now was time for me to get up and put my plan into action; I was to run away. I had been planning this since the day Logan died, my entire escape, where I was to go and what I intended to do whilst I was on my own. There was only one other detail that hinged on the edge of a successful departure. I also planned to bring Shiver with me too because I knew he would be distraught if he woke up to find I too had disappeared; his confidant, his brother of a sort. His best friend. I stood from my bed of grass and walked to Shiver's den. He was clearly not asleep. I could see him struggling to get to sleep as he tossed and turned all over the place.

"Shiver?" I whispered loud enough that he could still hear me without waking the others.

He opened his right eye and looked up at me. "Hey, Toothless," he replied in his groggy state.

I looked around his den checking our surroundings before returning to him. "What's up?"

I walked over to his grass bed and laid down beside him taking a deep breath before I final layed my ultimatum upon him. "Shiver, I've been planning something ever since Logan died, and I believe you should know what it is. I'm running away. I don't want to be here anymore, not with the memories that linger over this place."

Shiver's eyes widened as he felt a chill run down his fins. "But, I want you to come with me," I concluded capturing his full attention.

He looked shocked for a minute before responded with things I had planned for. "Why? If you have bad memories here, why do you want me; another part of this place to come with you."

"You are my best friend Shiverwing. I'd have never forgiven myself if I left you here alone. It wouldn't be fair."

He thought about it for a second, looking around his den before he eventually looked up at me and gave me a nod. "When do we leave?"

I returned the gaze with a hardened resolve and unwavering intentions. "Right now."


	8. Escape

' _ **Escaping the Alpha dragon's call is impossible unless you're destined to be the alpha.' Doomeye, Night Terror**_

* * *

 _ **-Escape-**_

* * *

"Commence Operation: Run!" I spoke softly to Shiver as we left his den.

While it wasn't something I expected to take much effort to execute, I always love a touch of the dramatic. And, just to lighten the mood, such a sentence did the trick, as Shiverwing let out a small chuckle behind me. All we needed to do was get to the leaf opening outside of the main living quarters and just run in some direction. The most difficult part is being soundless enough to get to it.

We crept as quietly as we could to avoid being caught. We knew that if we told anyone else we wouldn't hear the end of it and then we would be on twenty-four seven watch. Even the softest noises still made us freeze up and still for second before we felt safe enough to continue. The few minutes we took to get to the opening seemed almost endless, but we finally reached it and our breathing calmed.

"You ready, Shiverwing?" I whispered to Shiver.

"Yeah. I'm super ready," he replied with a quiet sigh of relief.

"On the count of three, we run to the right," I turned around and stared into Shiverwing's yellow eyes. The full moon was bright enough, even through the canopy of the trees, that I could make out all his features, and he could see mine. He nodded and crouched down, readying himself to begin running.

"One…" The final deep breaths were being taken, as they would be the last for a while.

"Two…" Our heartrate rose with anticipation.

"Three!" Our adrenaline kicked in as we sprung straight into a full sprint to the right of the living quarters, the feeling of air rushing over our bodies.

Without looking back, we bounced one foot after the other across the terrain. I ran hoping Shiverwing could see me but when we reached the tree line of the forest I peered back and could see he was still following behind. As my fears subsided, I kept my eyes on the metaphorical prize. We had no idea where we would be going, that I hadn't planned yet. All either of us knew was that we were running away.

In due course, I slowed down and stopped; my breath was gone and limbs tired. Shiver slowed down a short while after I did, we were breathing as if we were running from death itself. As we calmed down however, we burst into laughter. The easiest plan that I would ever be a part of had been executed.

Shiver and I were free.

* * *

We continued to chortle for the next minute and a half as the realization slowly settled in that we'd finally managed to escape the bad memories. I didn't associate Shiverwing with Logan and neither did he didn't associate me in return and there it was that we found our solace. It took a while before one of us spoke as we had not planned for what was going to happen next.

"Um… Toothless?" Shiverwing spoke first. "What now?"

"That's uh… the one thing I didn't plan out," I chuckled. "I don't actually know what to do. I may have planned the direction we'd go from the den but not where we'd go afterwards."

I surveyed the fields and hills we were surrounded by. The viridescent image I was surrounded by even in the night, had created quite a scene. Even many winters later, I can see that snapshot and still be mesmerized by it. Off in the distance from where we were, the ocean was clearly visible. We could see the forest we once resided in. It seemed to be silhouetted by the moon even though it had crested mere moments ago.

"Well, I guess we head the way we were originally heading." I said, still scanning the terrain around. "Where else is there to go anyway?"

"Sounds like a good enough plan to me." Shiver replied. "Best we go… whatever direction that is."

I closed my eyes, trying to work out which direction we would be heading. I'd been told by Rachel that heading right from the entrance to our old living space, we would be heading south. If we were still heading that direction, south is where we would go.

Without a single word, we began walking south. I heard Shiverwing's footsteps behind me at a quicker pace as he worked to keep up. I could see him appear in the corner of my eye and then he slowed down until we walked along side each other in silence while we just went wherever our hearts and minds took us. It was hours before one of us even spoke and by that point, we'd reached a small dragon civilization.

We'd tried to avoid eye contact, as we were a pair of dragons that were a mere five winters in age. One question I'm sure you'd been asking yourself is how we'd become so mature at such a young age, and the answer is that mental maturity in dragons is achieved by four winters in age, on average. Winters four through ten are the equivalent of a human's teen winters however, certain qualities of humans in their teen winters is replicated in a dragon's teen winters. Though that is a topic to be discussed later.

On the odd occasion, one or other of us would look up to someone and they would be staring directly back at us. At such a sight, we'd look away and keep our eyes forward. Neither of us spoke a single word and not a single word was spoken to us. We just kept our minds on the matter at hand; where we would end up.

By this point, the sun had risen. Or, well enough that we could see where we were going before we got there. The glowing yellow orb we came to know and love hadn't risen fully, meaning that combined with the clouds, everything around us had a grey tint to it. This was how everything continued to be for the next couple of hours. The clouds never let up and eventually the rain came. The tiny drops of water had a cooling feeling; one in which we both welcomed.

"Toothless," Shiverwing finally broke the silence startling me. "What are we doing?"

"What do you mean?" I replied in a low voice,

"I mean, we're two very young dragons who are all on their own without a sire or dam beside us, we've been getting looks all day. I thought we were leaving to be comfortable," Shiver explained.

"We were leaving to escape the memories that we both would prefer to forget," I clarified. "I never said this would be comfortable. The discomfort that we're getting here is because of prejudice. We're far more mature than these dragons think we are."

"Yeah, but we're still barely past hatchling status. I mean, the first growth spurt I ever got was a week ago. I'm only a few winters shy of receiving what I hear is called an Alpha Transition, whatever that is. I bet most, if not all of the dragons here have already gone through their Alpha Transition."

"Yes, but there are kids here. The weirdest thing that people will think of us is that we're kids on our own without a sire or dam. Nobody will think anything more than that."

"I hope you're right,' Shiver murmured casting a short glance towards another group of dragons.

We descended into silence again and continued to walk through the rather small dragon settlement. It was then that I noticed my sudden hunger and as I assumed, so did Shiverwing. I looked around for a place for us to eat. I noticed that we were heading towards the settlement boundaries. If we left the village, we could eat in peace when we found somewhere to eat.

"Hey, you hungry?" I asked Shiver.

"Starving," he replied tiredly.

"Well, we're leaving this place soon, so let's find somewhere to eat outside of it."

"Okay. Wait, I think we're getting close to the that reservoir. You know the one…" I cut him off.

"I know but we left to escape Logan's memories, so let's not go there."

We went back to silence and remained as such as we searched for a place to eat outside of the village. Hours had passed before we finally found somewhere that had enough fish to eat. Let me just say that we feasted like starved kin-poison-tail.

* * *

When Logan took us to the reservoir, he taught us how to catch fish in bodies of water. The way that we managed to catch a grand total of seven fish was entirely down to Logan's teaching. One of the many things he was involved in that I won't ever forget. When I fail to catch fish, it's because I don't want to. I get reminded of Logan. However, when I become hungry enough, the instincts kick in and I have no choice lest I starve to death. The trick is to pounce on the fish when it's stationary but you need to also consider the movement of the water, as well as the refraction of light.

For example; let's say you want to catch a rainbow trout and it's in a river flowing just fast enough to be difficult to stand still in. The sun is right above you, about to crest. You'll pounce on it just a little to the left of where it seems to be. This technique varies to the conditions of the water and the sunlight but it's also highly effective.

This time, just beyond the dragon settlement, Shiver and I caught caught seven fish for us to eat splitting the last one in half to share. My claws weren't strong enough to cut through, so it was down to Shiver to cut. All it took for him was one swift swipe of a claw to slice through the fish.

We stayed in silence as we ate the last of our catch before I laid down in the grass and closed my eyes. I listened to Shiver as he swallowed the fish that he was so happy to have caught. When he was done, he took the grass stretching out his claws and wings before settling by me. However, when I opened my eyes I saw he was looking out towards the nearby forest. He must have heard something and become cautious of it.

I followed his gaze, and noticed a few bushes moving in the distance. Cautiously, I began to walk towards the disturbed shrubbery. My heart was pounding out of my chest and my breath was hitched. As I slowly got closer to the bush, Shiver finally became alert calling for me in a hushed tone.

"Toothless, what are you doing," He breathed.

I turned and gave him a reassuring smirk before continuing towards my target. At one point, I heard a voice coming from the bush to which I was confused and so it scratched at my curiosity. I walked a little less cautiously as I finally got to the bush.

"I know there's something there. Who is it?" I asked, only to receive no response except for an immediate halt of the rustling leaves. "Come on, I know you're there. Don't hide."

Finally, I saw something slowly creep its head out of the bush. I watched this creature before me, carefully as it seemed scared of us. I didn't know quite what it was but I did know it didn't seem like a predator.

Quickly, I recognized this character as a dragon. I'd seen it at the Spring Ceremony over the several winters I'd been with Rachel. This I recognized to be a kin-sharp-spine as the head gave it away; its sharp beaklike snout and timid nature got this realization in my head. Not only was it a kin-sharp-spine but an adolescent, one who had only experienced one winter, at most.

"Hi there, what's your name," I asked quietly.

The kin-sharp-spine slowly creept out of the bush before it responded. "I'm not supposed to give my name to strangers," the voice was clearly feminine voice.

"Well, where's you sire or dam?"

"My dam is in the salf," 'salf' being the dragon word for town.

"Ah well, when we see them, we'll be sure to say hello," Toothless replied.

"I wouldn't bother, we're already here," said another voice said off to the side.

It was a male voice, who I assume belonged to the kin-sharp-spine's sire. "Kate, I thought I told you not to go off on your own."

"I know, sire. I… um… just wanted to come here," she ducked her head.

"Well, be careful. You don't know if these two are safe or not. Especially him," he gestured at me, "I don't trust him."

The exchange was short and sure enough, they left Shiver and I on our own. This wasn't the last time I'd experience something like that…


	9. A Call in the Night

' _ **Alpha selection is the toughest chore a dragon must face,' Felfire, Dramilion**_

* * *

 _ **-A Call in the Night-**_

* * *

 **Toothless' Note: So, I like to think of my life in phases. You've just seen the end of phase one, and now we head into phase two. The phase where I undergo a serious change in my life. Something so big that even running away doesn't count as its own segment of my life.**

 **As dragons, it'll eventually come to the point that we start serving an 'Alpha,' which is the dragon who has sole control over their pack of dragons. They force their commands upon them,** **sentence them to** **death, or even reward us for their actions. What comes next in my story is where I become a part of a dragon pack and the hell that we faced for the ten winters that followed our first days as runaways.**

 **However, there lies a warning for the common reader. What happens after this portion of my story may be disturbing, disgusting, foul, cruel or uncalled for in your eyes. There's not much to say, other than skip to chapter eleven would it come to pass, if you do not want to have these horrifying scenes forever ingrained in your head. This part of my life has forever left a burning scar on my mind I wish I could forget. Ten winters and all I knew was shock, fear and pain.**

 **Because of that being more important for me to discuss, this installment won't be very long. It will be a filler chapter to explain how Shiver and I got into that terrible situation. Neither of us are proud of how this happened.**

 **I plan to revisit my experiences here as we get deeper into the story, especially as we visit moments of equal quality.**

 **As a final warning, the following installments might be disturbing to casual readers.**

* * *

 _Late Night_

Shiver and I had long since gone to sleep. He was first to fall into a steady slumber as he didn't have as much on his mind as I did. I'd been thinking all night about what the kin-sharp-spine earlier had said; what could he have meant by 'I don't trust him,' when talking to me? I'd thought over all the possibilities of what it could mean, my brain, heart and gut rested on one thing: he didn't trust me because I was different to him. But even that didn't seem right as all kin of dragon are very different, so what would give him cause to distrust me like that? I'd tried to tune these thoughts out and get some sleep but that was impossible with this whole thing on my mind.

Suddenly, I heard a toneless thrumming sound in the air; a call of some kind.

It was inexplicable, a little concerning to say the least but for some reason I was attracted to it. I sniffed the air, trying to sense where a nearby kin could be. The only smell I got was that of Shiverwing who was still sound asleep. However, with this sound echoing in my ears, he must've been able to hear it too. I shook him awake, and he quickly woke up.

"Toothless?" he moaned weakly. "What's going on?"

"Shiver, do you hear that sound?" I asked, looking in the direction I thought the sound was coming from. He listened, sniffing at the air before he responded.

"No. What sound?" he asked with a concerned expression.

"That call. The weird call in the air." I replied keeping a sharp eye through the trees.

He listened a little closer before he nodded, looked up at me and said, "Yeah, I do. What is that?"

"I don't know but I'm strangely attracted to it. It's as if we're supposed to go, like nothing else matters." My words begin to mellow as my mind seemed insatiably fixated on the call.

"Me too. What do you think it is?" Shiver asked, he too rising to his feet to join me.

"Honestly, I have no idea," Without any precedence to do so, my feet took those first steps forward.

The sound felt as though it was creating a cloud, a haze over my sense of reason and decision. Everything seemed clear at first but the more I listened, the more my vision seemed to blur away into a haze of reds. I knew we had started moving, I could feel my feet as they pressed through the soft grass and yet they moved as if they already knew where I was going. Shiver seemed the same, his presence ever clear but beyond our own will to stray from our path. For all we could guess in our repressive states, the call may have been dangerous but we continued nonetheless. We were heading to the southeast, walking for hours on end to the point that the sun had just risen above the horizons edge.

Eventually, we arrived at a cliff face. I looked down to the ocean and then back at Shiver despite the haze over our minds. We both had the same idea, one that seemed born of free will but there was an instinctual edge to it as if it were already apparent; we'd need to fly to wherever this sound was.

"Shall we?" I whispered to Shiver, the sound though it came from myself seemed distant, alien almost.

"Where else is there? Wait, Toothless. I haven't gotten much standard flight practice," Shiver replied stretching his gaze to where the sea met the sky.

"Well, it's not hard," I cackled, cockily.

"Ha-ha, funny. Yeah, well you make it seem easy. Besides, it's not like we can go back. If I fall…"

"Don't say that, Shiver," I scolded, "If you fall, I'll catch you. You're my best friend."

I looked over his red and yellow scales. His yellow eyes, so innocent, but hiding a dark secret. One in which we knew wouldn't be a final experience. Since we were siblings, we'd be together for a long time still. With that, we nodded and took off.

* * *

Shiverwing started out a little sloppy, but he eventually managed to get himself straight and we continued after the sound. As time slowly passed, we never said a single word; we had a plan for where to go and we were confident about it.

I realized at some point that this may be a bad idea. I wanted to turn around, in fact despite the last day and half of travelling, I did. Shiver was confused to say the least, his own mind fixated on the path ahead not once considering what loomed over the edge. If not for the briefest of times, my head felt clear, the soft hum of the call lost to the air all before I could feel it again, stronger this time as if it were pulling me with more focus.

Eventually, we could see a large mountain off in the distance; a mountain of which we both knew was a point of no return. I thought perhaps we could fly back, despite the distance and the strength of the call. What was strange though was the fact that I didn't want to. All I wanted to do was to keep on flying to this mountain. As we drew nearer, we entered a thick blanket of fog obscuring rocks that twisted sharp and menacingly. Among the ominous surrounds I thought I caught the sight of something obscure dangling in the air; strangely shaped and seemingly broken. A second glance suggested my mind was playing tricks having been starved of true consciousness and the surrounding fog. The sea eventually turned to land as we were met with a sight that still to this day haunts me. A mountainous spire of rock like a mountain, though far too sharp an incline. There was no denying the call emanated from within those dark walls and sure enough we found a sliver between the rocks allowing us to pass through. It seemed to be glowing a rich orange from the inside and that same feeling of fear rose, but I kept myself going, as the call was beyond impossible to deny.

"What are we going to do, Shiver?" I asked as we coasted the inner walls of rock.

He turned to me with nothing more than a dismissing grunt. His eyes were sharp, narrowed only to what lie ahead, seemingly unconcerned to anything around him. With nowhere left but in, the sound grew stronger yet until we reached what I could only guess was the source. I didn't know, I mean how could have I? Nonetheless, what was to follow would lead to be the worst ten winters of my life…


	10. Nest of the Red Queen

' _ **Some Alphas will treat their followers as they treat themselves, but others will exploit their followers for their own gain." – Snoweyes, Snow Wraith**_

* * *

 _ **-Nest of the Red Queen-**_

* * *

 **Toothless' Note: This part of the journey brought Shiver and I a lot of pain. I almost wish I could move on to the next part but despite that, it's the part that leads to a defining moment in our lives… but I don't mean Berk. Not yet. That comes later, here in the nest of whom I've come to learn as the Red Death I walked a path of discovery for not only the world of dragons but who I am.**

 **Things may seem bright and welcoming at first… It was all a lie.**

 **Shiverwing and I going into that mountain, as I said, is the worst decision either of us have ever made. Shiver even said himself. "This was the biggest mistake we could have ever made." We experienced all kinds of hell, saw dragons get killed every day, and even came close to death ourselves many times. But the things I learnt about myself, my past, the legacy of my kin… No. The price was and always will be too high.**

* * *

Upon arriving on the ground, we immediately saw hundreds of dragons surrounding us. I fell into myself, and backed up a little. Shiver just stood there and stared. I began looking around the place. There was an orange glow coming from the center of the giant cave, which provided all the light we needed to be able to see. While the walls of the area were a deep grey illuminated by the burnt amber below, they were covered with the colorful array of dragons.

Suddenly, all the dragons turned their heads our way and started approaching us. I panicked, and thought I was going to die. "Okay, Shiver, maybe this wasn't a good idea," I whispered.

All he did was turn around and grunt at me again before he slowly began backing up. I stood behind him, looking up at the dragons approaching us. One of them lunged at us and hit Shiverwing hard, knocking him into unconsciousness. I screeched and turned around only to see dragons covering the exit. I turned my head quickly, looking amongst the dragons I was surrounded by; Kin-rage-fires, kin-sharp-spines, kin-lava-blasts. All dragons that could be imagined were probably present in that very cave. One of them hissed at me causing me to jump in fright.

"Well, what do we have here?" A green kin-sharp-spine said in an airy, whispery voice. He seemed like a fine dragon, or at least he would be if he wasn't under the influence of what Shiver and I had heard.

"I don't recognize this one," A kin-lava-blast of a brown tinge came back with. "I didn't even know there were other kinds of kin out there."

The entire group of dragons began to chat about me. As much as I enjoy being the center of attention, this wasn't pleasant with the new dragons I was in the presence of. But, eventually, the chattering stopped at a whistle from behind the dragons, and closer to the orange light in the center. All the dragons responded with the same whistle.

A few seconds later, a kin I hadn't seen before appeared through the crowd. A dragon of which I couldn't see through the darkness, as he was shadowed by the orange behind him. He looked down at me, and grunted.

At this point, Shiver woke up, shaking his head to relieve the pain I could tell he was feeling. I kept my eyes on the new kin as he approached eventually becoming close enough for me to see his bright pink eyes.

"I didn't know there were more of you," He said with soft curiosity in his voice. "I thought you were all but hunted, victims of the tall human; the one with hair as white as the moon.'

I looked amongst the crowd, hearing murmurs from other dragons around. One of the dragons I laid eyes on was a blue kin-lava-blast; she noticed my look and growled at me.

"You're a kin-night-fury. Your kind once dominated the skies and our dens; you were feared above all and yet the most loved of our kin. You could harness the power of lightning and your flame was brightest in the night. None could oppose you, none would oppose you for you were in numbers beyond counting. Until the tall human brought you to the brink of extinction."

I closed my eyes, taking in all this new information. First, I now knew my kin name, Kin-night-fury. My kind was once the greatest to roam the skies, my flame was brighter than all and I could harness the power of lightning itself. This was all new to me; I hadn't been with my sire and dam, or as I have heard the humans call them, parents, for long. I never had the chance to learn.

I looked amongst the crowd and saw all the awestruck faces; they seemed just as surprised as I was, if not more. I looked back at the new kin, and he laughed at me.

"Don't take this as being able to leave on your own little one," he chuckled quietly. "I know your kind has the strength to resist the call, we might say we're jealous because of it."

I smiled smugly at this but he noticed and quickly snapped back. "But don't think you're special. We don't care for arrogance. Arrogance is what lead to your ancestors' demise. And yet, here you are. The lone survivor in the mountain of the Red 'Qure'. I wonder if perhaps this was not by choice but by coincidence. Regardless, you will undergo the trials as all of us have," the purple eye dragon brought himself back in level with the ring surrounding us.

I collapsed into myself edging my way backwards and whimpering a little with fear. Until the laughter began, echoing off the walls. All the dragons around me burst into laughter, and I calmed down a little. I looked amongst them all and began forming a small smile.

"I wouldn't fret, little one. You and your Kin-rage-fire here will be safe," He said, still chuckling a little. 'What do you call yourselves?"

"I am Toothless. And this is my brother Shiverwing," I said clearly and yet there was a twitch in his eye, as if something was wrong.

"I see," he turned to one of the other dragons whispering out of my ability to hear. "He must be without a Sire or Dam. Victim of the tall human perhaps?"

"And clearly from a young age to not know his kin's history. What of his other half kin, the Light-Rage?" The Kin-lava-blast blast also return softly.

"For all we know they don't journey beyond the Ancient Realm anymore; the actions of his ancestors a lesson to be taught to all," The dragon cast a silent glance towards me. "This is an opportunity we can utilize."

"But if what you say is true, he can leave at his own will. We cannot follow," the Kin-lava-blast stressed.

His purple eyes seemed to drift towards Shiver. "No we cannot. And neither can he."

The dragon stood tall once more addressing the both of us. "Welcome, Toothless, Shiverwing to the Nest of the Red Qure. Here you are free to do as you please on one condition. Do not deny her commands or she will punish you, permanently," he chortled again. "My Brute kin. Let us introduce them to their new home."

* * *

Whilst our first instances of the Red Queen's nest filled us with uneasiness, Shiver and I began feeling a little more relaxed the further we ventured into the twisting catacombs. As it turned out, our family wasn't the only one who made names around certain characteristics of the dragon in question, because the new kin, which I learned was a kin-silver-tail, was named Sliverfire. He showed us around the nest as he continued to call it through our tour. He showed us the way out to raid nearby human salfs, The Wall, where several dragons over the years had left prints and finally, he brought us to the 'main event' if you will; the open hollow where the great orange light emanated from.

"Welcome to the Nest. This is where all our fellow kin reside when we're not raiding. Each kin has their own den and age ranges. For example, you," he pointed to Shiverwing. "Look to be about five or six winters old, so, you are at the bottom of that stack to your far left" He pointed to a few shelfs ingrained into the rock wall holding a few dragons on all the shelves except the bottom one.

"Oh, so am I going to be on my own?" Shiver asked, trying not to be rude.

Sliverfire shrugged, "For now you might be but in the future, more young dragons of your kin might come in and live with you."

Shiverwing nodded in affirmation, turning to look back at Sliverfire as the new kin was turning to me.

"As for you, well, we never expected to see your kind again but I'm sure there is a place befitting of your nature and… status."

I looked up at him feeling tension being pulled between Shiver and myself. "If it's alright with you. I would like to stay with Shiver." He gave me a look of confusion even a hint of fright.

"Why?" He asked, backing up slightly. "You'd be better on your own, your ancestors commonly were, it's how they had such a wide influence over the lands and seas."

I shook my head, "Please, despite how everything may seem, we are brothers. We're better together. I ask you, Sliverfire; can you put me and Shiver together?"

He eye'd me carefully, clearly in deep thought. "I shall speak with the Queen."

Shiver and I looked at each other; there was clear joy in both our eyes but also a ray of concern since there was no guarantee we would remain together. We both looked back at Sliverfire and asked the same question in our minds, What about right now? It was getting late in the afternoon, almost evening now. Besides, we didn't know what was going to happen once we got settled in.

"What about tonight. If you can't get an answer before sundown what should we do?" Shiverwing asked.

He thought about it for a moment, processing the question. Turns out, it wasn't him who'd answer it as a deep rumble began to echo from the massive pit in the center of the nest. Shiver and I stood still, waiting for what we assumed was an earthquake to pass, but we soon enough saw an immense and ominous figure surge through the fog cloud that had begun to form. Lava rolled down her great spines and a coral like crown shaded in a shallow green with crimson highlights. But what chilled me to the bone were her eyes; six of them penetrating and terrible in all their searing glory. In all my winters on this earth, I've never once seen another dragon as large as the mountain itself let alone having six eyes. I saw Sliverfire kneel before this great behemoth coming to a realization that this was whom he answered to; the Alpha of the nest, The Red Queen. We bowed our heads feeling as her eyes centered upon us with a certain malice.

Gazing down upon us and neither smiling nor showing much of any emotion, a grin soon began to form. "What have we here?" she said with a deep, booming, yet hissing voice. "A young Kin-rage-fire and…"

The Queen's gaze grew darker as she leaned in closer tilting her giant head to the side. "A Kin-night-fury. It's been many Winters since I smelt one of your kind. Too many. I feared that you were lost to the world."

Shiver and I looked at each other, both feeling a little uneasy. "Sliverfire, do you bring me a gift, or is there something you wish to make of them?"

"In time my Qure, I'm sure they will make fine hunters. For now I have a separate matter to address; They are bonded in some way beyond blood kin and they wish to know where they are to rest," Sliverfire responded to the Queen.

"Yes of course they would. It's not unheard of; a pact between kins like brothers and sisters. It's still sad that one should lose their sire or dam so young, left into the world without a place to go, a place to be nurtured. Why else would they be here?" the Queen's grin grew as her eyes returned to us.

I felt a metaphysical dagger to my heart and stomach; she knew this just from looking at us? We'd not even told Sliverfire why we were here. He looked back at us with a shocked expression but we simply lowered our gaze and looked back to the Queen. There was a light in her eyes, though I could not tell if it was one of sympathy or something more sinister. In time I would learn the difference but then, we were at the mercy of our guide.

"Do not fret little ones. Instead I welcome you to my nest, I am The Red Qure." She stepped back offering us a short bow of her head.

I gave a pleasant smile to the Queen while Shiverwing just nodded. "And who might you be?" she asked.

Shiverwing spoke first. "I'm Shiverwing."

"And… I'm Toothless," I began feeling a little embarrassed as I spoke; I guess I was still at odds with the name even then. And, she saw that.

"No need to be embarrassed, little one. Toothless is a great name for you." Her smile seemed some what more inviting than before.

I self-consciously lowered my gaze as she spoke. "It's alright, I guess."

She laughed deeply before returning to Sliverfire, "So. Sliverfire informs me you wish to remain at each others side when the moon his high?" She said, looking between the three of us before her features lowered. "I cannot agree to this. I am sorry but that is the way of the nest."

"What?" Shiver gasped, casting a frantic look between myself and Sliverfire. "But, that's not fair. All we have is each other."

"Shiverwing. Do not forget whom you stand before. The Quer's word is final," Sliverfire cautioned causing Shiver to lower his eyes and step back.

"You see little one." The Queen said looking down at him directly, "To allow this would be unfair to the other dragons who live here. Never have I let brothers and sisters of different kin remain tied to one another. To change that would upset the order, the structure of our community. Do you understand?"

Shiverwing nodded, his eyes fixated to a single point on the ground near the edge of the outcropping. He sniffed and looked up at me finding I was admittedly showing indifference to the choice.

"Think of this as a learning experience," Sliverfire said suddenly, spooking Shiverwing. "You two can't do everything together. Sometimes you have to learn to let go, to learn self-sufficiency. Especially for the greater good."

Shiverwing sniffed and I nodded. Looking around, I couldn't see any nearby dragons but I could see the sun was setting.

* * *

Sliverfire and the Red Queen saw it fit to leave Shiver and I alone for some time to consolidate our thoughts. Shiver was taking it harder than I first realized, his grasp on our bond was so strong he began crying as soon as they left. So I took him under my wing and held him close feeling the emotional burn myself. He and I were brothers, so being apart was snapping a tether, that tied the both of us together. We both stood there alone to our own bubble, Shiver burying his head in one of my shoulders whilst I held him tighter as I began to feel the tears fall. Other dragons would pass by but pay us no mind. Even in each other's paws, we never felt so alone.

I sniffed and looked down at my brother. "I guess this is it," I said, my voice shaky.

Shiverwing looked up at me and nodded slowly. "We'll still see each other in the daylight, right?"

'I promise. This isn't the end… think of it like a new beginning. A fresh start." I took a deep breath. "We'll still talk. I'll make sure of it."

Shiver nodded and buried his head in my shoulder again and there we stood until Sliverfire finally returned. I heard him behind me taking a deep breath before walking up to us.

"It's time to get some rest. We start early, before sunrise," He said softly.

I turned and looked at him, removing my wing from Shiver. I nodded and looked over at Shiverwing who was still looking down at the ground. I couldn't help but notice Sliverfire's sorrowful look. He sighed before he spoke again.

"I'll see if I can work something out with the Qure so that you two can be put on the same flock."

Shiverwing looked up, a little confused. "flock?"

"You'll find out in the morning, for now you two need rest. Tomorrow, you become one of us,' he stated.

Accepting the terms, I looked around the place. It did seem very cozy at first, but we would at least be comfortable sleeping. "Shiver, as discussed your place is with your kin on the lower shelf.

I looked over at Shiver, who was looking at the shelf. "I guess this is good night Shiver."

"Yeah. I'll miss sleeping with your warmth," he quipped,a shimmer of joy returning despite their parting in sorrow.

I chuckled and pawed at his wing's shoulder joint. "Bye for now, brother."

Shiverwing showed a small smile. "Talk in the morning, brother."

Shiverwing turned, said his goodbyes to Sliverfire and flew off to the shelf of rock. I watched him as he positioned himself comfortably, curling up on the rock and turning towards me. He showed a smile and laid his head on his forepaws; I couldn't help but smile back.

"The Qure and I discussed your living arrangements and it seems there was something befitting after all. As we've mentioned, it's been countless winters since your kind last swarmed the skies but… few once resided in this mountain," Sliverfire lead me beyond the Kin-fire-rage's section out towards the ledge.

He leapt off with ease soaring gracefully into the air before climbing higher towards the open peak of the mountain. I stretched my wings and followed beating hard to keep up with the Kin-silver-tail but soon enough he curled to land at an outcropping that overlooked the greater interior of the hollow nest right down to the Queen's lava induced abode.

"This was once the nest of a Kin-night-fury that lived here when I was no younger than you. He was magnificent, regal even. When he left on the call of his Alpha however, they never returned; this is all that remains of their memory here, until you," Sliverfire explained standing by the edge as I ventured forth into the wide outcropping.

Two columns exposed the hovel which by anything looked carved out, possibly by Kin-lava-blasts. There was a ring of shelves all at even heights around a central slab of granite rock, its surface smooth and glinting light off its sheened surface.

"The granite slab is customary. Your kin favored it above any surface. All this, it's yours now seeing as there is no other kin to dispute the hierarchy," he gestured to the entire hovel.

I took a long look around capturing every detail left here by my kin, the shelving especially creating interest; they were all level unlike the other kin. What did that suggest about them? And the height, far above the rest with a view that encompassed the entire nest.

"Sliverfire. You said you were my age when you knew them. How long have you been here?" I turned around to face him.

"I hatched here. Like you, no Sire or Dam. So the Qure took me in and raised me. I was still treated the same as any other of our kind, slept and participated in the order of the hierarchy but over time I proved favorable to her and I was appointed as… an overseer, a warden of the nest." He offered a simple smile before his expression turned more solemn. "Do you like it, your den?"

"I do. Um, Thank you. Can I decorate it?" I asked, perhaps a little too hopeful.

Nonetheless, Sliverfire smiled and nodded. "Of course. So long as you keep it tidy, the Qure won't have an issue."

"I understand," I smiled. "Thank you for everything so far, Sliverfire."

He nodded, smiling. "No, thank you. Tomorrow you'll undergo orientation and the welcome ceremony. After that, who knows. But I see great things in your future Toothless. Great things. Now, rest. General rule for you is you have to be in your den by sundown and asleep when the moon is a third of the way across the sky. Some dragons are required to stay up late for certain rituals, best to be asleep before they begin."

I sniggered, "That's the first time I've been told that, and it's not been a 'bed time' situation under my old sire and dam's wings."

He giggled. "Well regimen is important to the Qure. Anyway, get some sleep Toothless. You and Shiver have a lot to do tomorrow."

I nodded wishing him a goodnight before he flew off leaving me alone with my thoughts. As presumed, the granite slab was cool but seemingly a minor issue; dragons after all are gifted with flaming breath. Circling the center of the slab too large for me to fill, I released a concentrated burn igniting the surface with flame before settling myself down upon the roasted surface, comfort and warmth of my own. Maybe this would grow easier in time, or perhaps it already was in some ways. My thoughts immediately drifted to Shiver, his sudden settlement amongst his kin but still alone. It was strange though, I felt the sharp edges of isolation piercing at my scales, the empty den echoing the ghosts of my kin and yet in some ways, not much had really changed.

I began my journey in company but it was stripped before I fully learned to speak, I was found and brought to another company but I still felt like an outsider; I was an outsider. I was welcomed over time, earned their trust and gained brothers and sisters to love and annoy to wits end. But they were along in that journey; the other kin's would look onto me with the same expression of confusion, the recognition lost in their eyes. Then Logan passed, his condition finally catching up and I felt somewhat alone again, if not for Shiver joining me on our journey into the wilds, I would have been. Now we are here in the great nest of the Red Queen, separated by night as if it was meant to be this way all along. What was most strange about it however was that I didn't feel entirely deterred. Saddened and disappointed in regards to Shiver yes but deep down, part of seemed to understand that perhaps my destiny was meant to be a solitary one. Of course I couldn't have known at the time but the thought never left me for the winters to come.

* * *

The next morning came with a sliver of light filtering down the peak of the volcano. I can remember the night was filled with images and memories but for the most part I must have slept soundly seeing as I was still in the center of the slab. There were cries and yowling of the other dragons below as they woke up for a day full of unknown adventures. I crept up to the edge of my hovel to find the Queen awake and peering around the nest at her subjects. It was strange at first to see but I didn't think much of it at first when the other kins were huddling back, cowering almost under her gaze. Slowly she sunk back under the fog bank leaving the others to creep out before flocking together in the air and soaring out one of the tunnels leading around the nest.

That's when the silver scales of Sliverfire appeared blocking out the limited sunlight for a moment. "Good morning Toothless, I trust you're well rested?"

"Yes. Surprisingly," I replied stretching out my wings.

"Are you ready for initiation?" he asked with a positive tone.

I shrugged, "As ready as I'll ever be."

He smiled and took off, hovering in place just above my quarters. I took it as a sign that I should follow him. As such, he led me back down into the deep of the nest just above the fog bank. Every single dragon I saw was sitting in their own sections of the nest, certain groups of dragons within those quarters a little further away from the rest. There was a large rock platform leading to the edge of the Queens abode where many dragons including some Kin-rage-fire's were waiting patiently. At the head of the pack resting on the rock, my brother lifted his head as he spotted my sleek build coasting in for a swift landing.

"Toothless!" He squeaked, eyes bright and energy exploding inside. "I've been looking forward to seeing you again. How'd you sleep?"

I hesitated for a moment realizing my answer could be considered insensitive. "Ahhh heh. It wasn't too bad… I have my own den… with a granite slab."

Shiver's eyes widened as he gawked at me incredulously. "What!" Slowly the surprise turned to confusion. "I mean. Wow, that's good. That's great…"

His stammering didn't help me with my guilt but then again, what choice did we have; Queens orders. "Ahh, Sliverfire told me it's where my kin used to reside before they left so I guess it kind of makes sense. It's actually a little lonely," Maybe that was closer to the truth than I originally thought. "You should come visit sometime. It's way up the top of the nest."

"Really? I bet it has a pretty good view then?" Shiver nudged me with his wing.

"Almost the whole nest." I winced knowing that would fuel his jealousy. "There are dragons crawling all over this place."

Luckily Shiver didn't seem too distressed about the arrangements this morning. "Haha yeah, there are way more than we thought."

I started looking amongst the growing numbers. "What's that, four hundred dragons?"

"I was expecting you to say thousands but, that's pretty reasonable," a voice from the side said.

We turned and saw a new dragon approaching us; it wasn't Sliverfire but was of the same kin, a female kin-silver-tail with green eyes. "I'm Silverwing."

"Shiverwing," my brother said.

"Toothless," I followed.

"So you're the one I've heard so much about. I'm Sliverfire's mate. He's told me a lot about you two," She offered us a knowing smile.

"We've been here for less than a day, how could he tell you a lot about us?" Shiverwing asked.

As was always my way with any confrontation like this, I let Shiverwing take the lead in talking. It was just always easier to not get into confrontation.

"True, you've been here for under a day but he's learned enough about you to get an idea. It's a close bond you have," she noted.

I smiled. "Thanks."

She smiled and turned around. "Take solace in what you have now. You two have a long few weeks ahead of you. Death could be at every turn."

I remember that well; a cheery notion to be sure starting off initiation with warnings of fatal consequences. I mean it's not something you expect to wake up to but either way, we both nodded and turned to check our surroundings. I'd begun to take in all the different colors. Virescent, cerulean, hazel, charcoal. That general vibe heading towards the cooler end of the spectrum of colors. It got dull to look at quickly, so I diverted my attention to the dragon beside me. I looked up and down his blue and green scales. He noticed me and smiled. I smiled back.

Suddenly, a voice came from my right; the booming voice of the Queen as she rose from the depths of the pit with all her majesty for view; certainly a behemoth for the lack of a better word with jagged spines down her dorsal structure.

"Loyal subjects, raiders, brutes and kin," She said to many applauding roars. "Welcome to the induction of our two newest members to the clan. The Blue-Tinged and Sharp-mouthed kin-rage-fire, Shiverwing, and the Dark as Night and Laidback kin-night-fury, Toothless."

The nest echoed as Shiver and I stood up, looking amongst the dragons in front of us. I looked to my right to see the Queen's head directly beside me. I jumped and looked up and down her face in surprise.

"As you are no doubt aware, we have a certain induction ceremony before we can fully accept them into our bretheren," Everything slowed down as I held my breath. I waited for her to say what we needed to do. "A human kill from each of them."

I lifted my head up and looked at the Queen. The desire, the dream was not one I acknowledged all that commonly; the hunting of my Dam and Sire leaving marks on my conscience but they were of fear. I'd witnessed their tyranny but I was not old enough to defend for myself or understand what had happened. In other words, I was caught in a mix of emotions, excitement, pride and perhaps even a little bit of bloodlust that the opportunity enact revenge was at hand and yet I still felt the tremor. As I saw the humans appear in the claws of Kin-sharp-spines, I felt the surge of power fill me with a rush of joy. It was as if fate had finally brought a sliver of fortune back in my favour. When I finally feasted upon the eyes of the vicious warriors, I found myself in a second place of mind, if not for a moment. These were rather young humans from the looks of it. Roughly nineteen or twenty winters old. This was the first time I'd seen a human beyond the mindframe of sheer terror and confusion.

There were two of them, the one on the left had brown hair, he was tall, standing like a kin-sharp-spine. He was thin, probably not more than fourteen stone and wearing tattered fabric in a dark shade of green. The one on the right was short and plump with hair like the sun and was wearing a tattered fabric in a dull shade of red. They seemed to have nothing in common except for one thing: I knew their expression, I once wore that expression myself many winters ago; Terror.

"Humans are without mercy," the Queen said suddenly, "Take no chances. They are vicious, relentless and they kill on sight."

Shiverwing leaned in, an edge of wonder in his eyes, "Vicious is not the word I would use."

"They may look frightened but to believe it is a folly. The moment you turn your backs they'll have their daggers in your heart," the Queen reinforced their resolve causing the other dragons around them to snarl.

Even I was feeling the burning sensation of hate beginning to build, perhaps it was a façade, a trick to lure him in. "I'll go first." I stated firmly walking up to the humans. "Humans murdered my Dam and Sire when I was a hatchling and left me to die alone. It's time I returned the favor," I growled with the heat in my nerves filling me with an energy I have never known.

No one stopped me as I approached the taller one, his blue eyes wide and shivering as he was met with my glare. "Good, Toothless," The Queen encouraged, "Now take this human to the edge and do with him as your heart desires," I looked at the human who's eyes were unchanging, frozen in place under the Kin-sharp-spine's claw. I took him in my own and flew him off towards the cliff. What I didn't expect were his cries to echo into my ears as he clung with soft hands at my paw. I all but dropped him at the outcropping's edge before landing on his limbs, my front claws holding down his slender arms. He struggled and kicked but it proved useless under my weight and greater strength.

I could hear him speaking his own human language, pleading with me to spare his life as his eyes began to fill with tears, knowing he was nearing the end of his life

As they did, everything stopped, my brain surged into blazing speeds as the world around me felt like a blur beyond the thrumming of my heart and the strangled pleads of the human. I had no reason to think that this human was anything more beyond the killer we believed them to be. Yet who could possibly believe this was fake?

"Remember your Sire Toothless. Remember your Dam. Remember what they sacrificed to save you," the Queen urged him on, her voice softer.

It was at this point I remembered a little thing Rachel once said to me. "Humans only know two things of dragons: kill them or flee."

Maybe this human had tried to kill dragons before? If so, should there not be a reason to face me in such fear. Unless he tried to flee only to be caught? Or perhaps it was even simpler than the Queen's words; the strong survive. Sliverfire said my whole kin were hunted by humans. I made choice that day, one that kept me alive for a long time to come… but I wish I'd known it was the wrong one.

I flexed the muscles in my mouth, letting in the gas to make my fire. I felt the heat burn in my glands; the purple glow illuminating the human's face as his screeching prolonged, his eyes clamped shut. With a screech that built louder than the cheers of the dragons. I reared back onto my hind legs, the release of weight catching the human by surprise as he tried to scramble away all before searing plasma was fired like lightning, the blast exploding on impact with the human in a brilliant indigo cloud. As the cloud settle so too any sound within the nest. All I could hear was the hiss of my own breath as I drew in long hard breaths.

Slowly but surely, the echoes around the nest grew as dragon after dragon roared to the rooftops. I could feel the aftershock of the event fill me, the vibrations attacking my nerves as I finally witnessed my own strength, the power, the force. Sliverfire was right, I was destined for greatness.

I don't even remember how Shiverwing took care of the fat human only that he did emerging at my side with blood on his fangs; a mauling in that regard. All I cared for in that moment was that for the first time in my life, I truly felt part of something, no longer and outsider, an anomaly… If only I knew.

* * *

By this point you're probably wondering why I bothered warning you. Up until now, it's been a run of success. Well, we were lead to believe humans were the ones who wore masks. They do but they will never be as sly or as manipulative as dragons. I thought for so long the brutes of the Red Qure were my new family. It wasn't until it was too late that I realized I was just a pawn in a larger scheme; a weapon for them to exploit in exchange for… false rewards. Ten winters of Hel, this is where they begin…


	11. Ten Winters of Hell

" **Y** **our time here has brought you terrible pain Toothless. But all of us have suffered. Please, if you could save us, we might find solace in more than just hope, see the end of a tyrant** _ **," StormTrapper, Monstrous Nightmare**_

* * *

 _ **-Ten Winters of Hell-**_

* * *

 _ **This journey was long and tiring…**_

* * *

 _ **The First Winter...**_

Our first story takes place a few weeks after our induction into the 'clan' as the Red Queen called it. There we were versed in the details of 'teams' and their respective duties in maintaining the integrity and evolution of the nest. There are four basic teams, Foragers, Gatherers, scouts and hunters of who are tasked with specific tasks. Forages hunt for food be it fish, sheep and even yaks whilst gatherers excavate for materials to reinforce and maintain the structural integrity of the nest. The extent and diversity of these materials are all-natural ranging only in how they are integrated. The Scouts locate and survey nearby human salfs collecting information on the size and population which are then relayed to the Hunters. Their role is critical but extremely dangerous; the greater hauls of recourses come from the salfs thanks to the humans' inherent nature to hoard. I've learnt many strange and curious things about these humans and their habits from older dragons around the nest, but they all return to the notion that being told does not compare to doing.

There are several sub teams, all of whom are assigned specific areas of the ocean. It becomes their territory and that's where they will remain unless they are ordered to move by the Red Queen or any of her immediate ranks. These areas known as 'Scourara' as I've heard others call them many times are as a result of pioneering scouts scouring the ocean for weeks on end. It would not become my role however as my firepower so clearly demonstrated; I was first initiated as a hunter to a Scourara in the northwest, an island designated for new initiates. Slowly we would cycle around other islands as our skills grew facing larger and tougher foes, the best of hunters under the Red Queens reign saved for special Scourara's that instilled fear into even the largest of our flock. I knew then as I know now the Red Queen had her eye on me, her desires to push me out there to where she truly wanted me to go. Shiverwing whilst also initiated as a hunter, was sent to the southmost island implying a certain amount of separation, conflicts with the flow, I guess.

I would not hear of his journey until we returned; I can say in hindsight his tale was not quite as exciting as my own. It felt like forever but soon I could see the island off in the distance. On my left was a green kin-sharp-spine beside me, an experienced hunter having seen many raids by the scars along his underbelly.

He returned a smile. "Is this your first raid?"

I nodded in return, with excitement until his features grew more serious, "Take a word of advice from an old show, stay focused. Even on these smaller isles, the humans hunt to kill. Don't give them the opportunity."

I nodded, finding the prospects bleak but to say my spirits were drowned, not at all. As we approached the island finally making landfall, fires sparked raging high in the shadow of the night. I saw them; bright orange flames appearing to my right rising high above the salf.

"It begins. Hang back and observe for now," The same kin-sharp-spine said. He flew off to the left to swoop on a sheep, one of a dark color and fearful demeanor.

There was no hesitation in his arc as he powered out of the fray, the maneuver was lightning fast and with the precision of practiced claws. If the scars on his hide were anything to go by, I figured any advice from him was sure to be worth it. I took my chances following his lead swooping low at one of the sheep when a glimpse at its terrified eyes struck me with resistance. I barked, pulling in my claws before soaring back into the safety of night. A creature cowering for its life offered no threat to our hunt, it bore no claws, no hooks or fangs to fight with. The dragons of the nest would thrive nonetheless without the extra sheep; many others were already clamped in the claws of the other dragons crying their last breath.

That's when I heard it, the crash of impact and the booming cheers of humans as they rushed in on one of our fallen. Thievery may have left a torrent of confusion in my mind but I knew in my heart, the humans would not suffer my mercy. I warmed up muscles in my mouth, still hanging back by the edge of the island to blast some of the wooden structures around me starting with a small hut off to my left. It shattered under a blast of indigo light as fire consumed what remained. Banking off towards the inland of the island, I lined up two more structures; their supports showering the nearby humans with shards of wood and splinters. Where others would bear down upon them with streams of lava and sticky flames, my targets were left to nothing but rubble.

Other dragons had noticed and as I lined up for a fourth shot, the air filled with a whirring shrillness; a piercing whistle as I closed in and below, the horrified cries of the humans filling the air with words that had not been spoken in many years. 'NIGHT FURY! GET! DOWN!'

I fired the shot towards the wooden bridge and into splinters did it disintegrate taking three down with it. The reflection of the light barely touched me before I soared into darkness. From the ground, the humans were huddling peering off into the night sky searching profusely but to no avail. They could not see me; my scales camouflaged with the night. The older dragons were right, I quickly found my forte; not in thievery or plundering the masses like the Kin-Rage-Fire but through sheer power and the cover of dark.

As I circled out by the ocean, I could see a structure on a small peninsula flinging boulders towards the other dragons. One such boulder caught a young Kin-Two-Head by surprise splitting the rock into two chunks on impact before the dragon fell from the sky. It was a weapon I had only heard of once, a great stone throwing tower and now to meet its bane. I belted my wings harder surging in towards the tower. As I began whistling and screeching, I heard the shouts from the humans down below as they all seemed to hide under the wooden boards they were carrying. Finally, I charged the fateful blast and watched as the stone supports crumbled under the ring of light, the tower falling with it into the sea below.

Swarms of dragons roared triumphantly as the main flock pulled out with their game in claw. I floated above the others taking in the sight as the humans retreated, the last of the dragons spewing fire to fend them off in their escape. Amongst the pack, murmured croons and warbles echoed from the both young and older dragons in light of the spectacular victory, the words as such filling me with bubbling pride.

"I saw the blast that took out the tower. Where did you come from young hunter?" The Green Kin-sharp-spine veered in beside me, the black sheep in his claws long since grown silent and limp.

Behind my excitement, the brimming joy and wonder I felt in the aftermath of such an exhilarating event, I was completely phased by the question. My mind was reeling, centered on how my nerves were buzzing that any such afterthought on where I flew in regards to the others was foregone. They weren't the oldest dragons by any means, enough to teach and lead novice hunts but to the likes of Sliverfire, most were second to hatchlings; they did not truly know the prowess of Kin-Night-Furies and until now, neither did I.

"I don't know."

As quickly as it started, the raid concluded, and we all began flying back to the nest. At the time I was filled with adrenaline, but I wish I had the mind to calm down as I had no idea what was going to happen next. I looked to my right, a purple kin-sharp-spine was beside me trailing along with a limp in her wing and empty claws; she seemed worried for one reason or another.

"Are you ok?" I asked her, to which she looked up at me with heavy breaths.

She didn't answer instead casting a warning glare as her features fell back into a sorrowful stupor. "Be wary young friend, some actions have consequences."

I nodded as we flew all the way back to the nest; the journey feeling shorter on the return in comparison because now I knew the route. So, we arrived back quicker than I remembered, and I would quickly learn what was going to happen to the kin-sharp-spine and seven other dragons, mostly kin-rage-fires. Much to my wonder they remained hovering in the centre of the nest above the Queens den. Suddenly, the Red Queen appeared from below with a terrifying snarl that brought fear to us all. Her mouth was open as she rose out of the gas and clamped down on the dragons. She ate the dragons! There was no warning, no prior hints of her apparent cannibalistic appetite nor the reason as to why the dragons so voluntarily awaited their demise. It was the first, but it would not be the last time I witnessed this horror and others to come, for I wish I knew then what I knew now; my time in the Nest would only grow worse.

* * *

I woke up one morning in the middle of summer, a month after my first raid. Sleep was a little jarring at times with some nights spent wide awake as the cries of other dragons echoed off the walls. Despite my efforts I was awoken with a blast of violent noise, my eyes snapping open as I jumped back in fright.

"Get up, you defiant runt!" A yellow kin-lava-blast snarled, crouching low for a pounce. "It's time you learn your lesson."

"What?" I groaned.

"You think you're special? Eight raids and not a morsel for our Qure," she said, eyes thin in slits. "It's time that changed."

She screamed and rushed at me, impacting with my side before I could react. I groaned as she remained on top of me, biting into my chest, causing it to bleed. Eventually she climbed off and used her tail as a battering ram, hitting me in the side as I was rolling over and causing me to fall onto my back again. We fought for a good ten seconds before a loud thud made her stop completely and collapse beside me on her side. I looked up on the wall to my left, seeing Shiverwing standing on her; he'd saved my life.

"Shiver?" I wheezed, dazed and weak.

He nodded, hopping down to me. "I've got you brother. Let's get you to Sliverfire," he said, hoisting me into his claws before gliding down the catacombs and nooks of the nest.

I was still dazed as we plummeted down into the depths of the caves, a blurry haze over my eyes obscuring anything in front of me. I soon found myself lying in front of Sliverfire who was awestruck by my bruised and bloodied figure.

"What happened?" Sliverfire said, not to a response from me but Shiverwing.

"He was attacked by Dawntail. Beaten up and bitten. She caught him by surprise," Shiverwing explained.

Sliverfire nodded. "She's known to have a temper."

"But she had no reason to attack Toothless." Shiverwing rebutted with concern rising in his voice.

"No… she said," I groaned to Sliverfire, capturing both of their attentions. "She said I wasn't bringing back food... that I was supposed to bring back food for the Qure."

Their eyes widened sharing a glance between one another before Sliverfire leant down to poke in under his wing. "I see," he sighed licking away at the wounds along his hide. "Why not?"

As best I could, I shook my head crooning a sadder tone as the pain rose, Sliverfire's treatment reacting with my sounds. "I didn't know and…" the image in my mind that never left me, the lone sheep terrified beyond measure. "It feels wrong."

Sliverfire cast me a quizzical glance. "Wrong? It's the natural order. The creatures eat the grass that grows on the lands and we eat them. It's not about being a thief so much as it's about plain survival."

"And who eats us?" I breathed deeply, his treatment somewhat soothing. "The Red Qure?"

The comment held their actions for a short moment. "I think it's best you keep this to yourself. You're lucky she hasn't found out," Sliverfire spoke flatly, "I'll keep this secret from her but be wary Toothless. Some will see your defiance as a threat, others as a rebellion; they aren't as mindful as you."

I raised my head casting him a confused look. "Why are you helping me?"

"I've heard the tales. You may not be a thief but no other dragon spits fire like you can and your thirst for human blood makes you stronger, more ruthless. While you may still soar through skies in other parts of the world, it's been a long time since your kind has ever graced these hallowed walls. We almost forgot your power," Sliverfire praised me helping me to my paws. "Go get some rest, we'll take care of Dawntail."

* * *

 _ **The Second Winter…**_

As time went on, and I found myself constantly working away at trying to stay alive while simultaneously coming close to death. Everything was beginning to fall under a haze, like a shadow over my eyes that leant into an unsettling terrain I was not familiar with. I didn't think much of it at first as I thought it was just a side effect the consequential raids. However, as I got used to working on this flock, I couldn't help but notice a change within myself. As slow and subtle as it was, it got to the point that I started to notice the other dragons left with a feeling of contempt or distain even. The most troubling indication was my perception of Shiverwing; a startling realization that left my insides churning for quite some time.

It reached a point that I had to actively tune out different thoughts I had about Shiverwing. Fifteen weeks into the second winter I knew something was wrong, or at least in hindsight it was wrong; my contempt turning to a seething anger and do I dare to say rage. It was almost like an instinctual impulse, a fear induced reaction to defend myself or was it to conquer I did not know, only I had urges to hurt Shiverwing. Eventually, I asked the question of 'Why?' Why did I desire to cause pain to my brother? My oldest companion, a dragon who I could see was far smarter and more composed when it came to scouting than any other dragon in his flock to the south. My thoughts were dragging me to the point that I began to wonder what caused this in the first place. The raids continued and yet I still felt the shifts in my mood deepening over the next four months. My rational fears were enough to overtake my irrational ones, so I took it to Sliverfire.

His involvement with the clan was less now than when Shiver and I first arrived, mostly because he'd had hatchlings. Nine different kin-silver-tail's all roaming around and playing with each other in his den creating an absolute mess. I took it upon myself to lay my concerns down regardless, I knew I needed help.

As I landed in his den, he took notice of my footfalls on the lip of the rock. "Toothless, I'll just be a moment," He smiled at me nodding towards a smooth portion of stone by his side.

"Sliverfire, I need-" I began but I was interrupted.

"Woah there, little one," He said to one of his young, barely six-week-old hatchlings. "That energy of yours won't do you any good."

As the seconds turned into minutes, I became more and more frustrated. I tried prying between the bustle of the den, sneaking in words to catch Sliverfire's attention to little success. "Sliverfire could we just...?"

"Whoa, whoa! Slow down you," he yelled at another hatchling scampering blindly over a slippery portion of rock

I persisted. "Can I ask...?"

It might have been futile to try at a time like this but nonetheless I pushed on my patience worn down. "Sliverfire, we need to talk about something," I said quickly, closing my eyes as I spoke and firmly stating my ultimatum.

He stopped fussing over the hatchlings and looked into my eyes with a momentary hesitation. "Go ahead Toothless." He said solemnly, indirectly apologizing to me for interrupting me when something so important was on my mind.

"Sliverfire, I think there's something wrong with me. I've noticed… I'm changing and I don't think it's in a good way," I stated, opening my eyes and calming down. "I'm not the same as I was a year ago. I feel strange, angry and… and my attitude towards the other dragons is, wrong. I can't tell if they're a threat to me or if I'm threatening them. I thought it was a result of the raids but I'm not so sure now."

Sliverfire sat patiently taking in all this information. "What about your familiar? Shiverwing?"

I found my gaze settling on the empty walls of rock. "Yes. Even Shiverwing."

He sighed, looking for the correct way to respond. "Toothless, what do you know about the relationship of a Queen to her nest?"

I shook my head. "Not much, only what you and the Qure have taught me."

"I thought so," Sliverfire nodded sparing a short glance to his young still stumbling about the den. "In every nest there is a Queen to govern and care for the flock, the manner of which they conduct themselves however is… varying to their individual personality and experiences."

"What do you mean?" I asked plainly.

"If you'd like, I wouldn't mind telling you a story. The story of our Qure," he proposed but there was an edge in his eye that bore something sinister. "I will warn you though, it is not a pleasant tale."

I resolved my nerves and nodded accepting the terms as Sliverfire began. "Over three hundred winters passed in a strange and distant land, an egg was found resting precariously at the edge of a boiling caldera. The markings bore no familiarity and those that found it were no more than lawless scavengers. Grim Gnasher's as you may suspect; as the tale goes, another found their way to the caldera warding off the scavengers before they could eat it. The one who found it was a Crimson Goregutter, a gentle giant and so they journeyed a long and treacherous path back to his home. His home unlike ours is immense; a world beneath our world, endless caves and catacombs illuminated with beautiful crystals where all dragons dwell. Or so I've heard. When the egg hatched, our Red Qure would emerge and even the most ancient of our kind could not recognize her, all except him."

"Him?" I asked as Sliverfire cast a cutting glance my way.

"As I've told you before, every nest has it's Queen but this dragon; he was the King, an aging and tired king but he was still revered and loved by all. He knew of their kind, one as ancient as himself and long since wiped clean from the world, or so he believed. That day he made a decision that would seal his fate, as if any could have known what was to come but regardless, the Goregutter was charged with raising the hatchling. Naturally, they formed a bond, much like how I imagine you did with Shiverwing's familiars. It's a strange irony, your origins appear to run at a certain parallel. As she grew to sizes beyond that of her adoptive father, the King once again returned a personal eye for any sign that may spark old and painful memories."

"I don't understand. What relationship did the King have with her?" I asked finding a severe gap being formed.

"In truth. They are tales and histories that even fewer know let alone myself. If I had to guess, a history with the King and her kin. A dark and bloody one presumably. Her growth as I'm sure you understand came with, isolation, seclusion and wariness because of her strangeness. The Goregutter tried his best to offer his comforts, his love for her was as strong as the foundations of the Earth. However, it came to pass, a dark truth was discovered, where vengeance was then sparked by a lie in its place. The Red Qure's powers and influence were growing, her own will reckoning challenge against the King's; she went on a war path to hunt him down. Despite his age, the King answered to the challenge alone and their battle sent tremors through the great halls for all to feel until at last he was defeated, stricken to his last breaths upon his crystal throne. He must have known and there his last order, one that rallied this hidden world with the love for their king saw the Red Qure banished for all eternity," Sliverfire lay his long neck down, the age in his eyes seeping through for just a moment.

"She was cast out?" I clarified.

"No. She was hunted and scorned with no choice but to flee in fury and in pain with but one goal; to one day return and have her final revenge, to conquer the world of dragons for herself. Her aimless trail taking her many leagues until she landed here, wounded and exhausted. Nonetheless, she carved her way into the mountain claiming it as her fortress to dwell away from the eyes of both dragons and humans. As her wounds healed and her size grew, so too did her influence; her call reached far and in time flocks of dragons soon swarmed the mountain growing in great numbers. Generations came and went, one such pair of dragons were my sire and dam, but their life was cut short soon after I hatched, here in this very cave. As time went on, she amassed this army and with it, a terrible vengeance brooding over three hundred winters. I have only seen seventy-two of them, but it's more than any other dragon can say for themselves," he chuckled with an ironic sense of mirth.

"It's a long time in servitude but it's all I've known, and she treats my family and I well. All of us, are both in her care and at her mercy. I'm sure that the reason you're experiencing these changes are because of the Red Qure. She has that kind of power and influence over those in her care. That's why her army is often so loyal and efficient. I'd have thought she'd have set off on her quest years ago, back in a time when your kin roamed these walls, but their disappearance stayed her wings. In time perhaps I believe she may be ready. The question is, where will you be when the time comes?"

With the powerful revelations swirling around in my head, I couldn't yet come to grasps with the gravity of my residence and consequently, the guardian who sheltered us. I assumed it must have all been true, but I didn't accept it as fact. Not yet anyway. Her control over me was like a cloud but I could for now see through well enough. It was confusing to say the least, weighing up her benevolence with her malevolence but she didn't seem like an evil dragon. Just, and steeped in order but not depraved.

"Sliverfire. Who was the King she fought?" I asked, wondering if perhaps the detail may allude to the vague and obscured history lost to the ages.

"His name was, as I've been told, was Darkstrike; A Night Fury," his expression was grave.

There lay no rest to my mind in the coming winters; the very thought plaguing my very being as I tried to decipher the significance. They had fought a fatal battle based upon the discovery of a lie, what was the lie? What truth was revealed and was my kind so seemingly centered around such mystery and prestigious worth?

* * *

Many weeks passed, and several raids went without incident. I'd not seen the true power of the humans for as of now they still seemed… weak and frail. These creatures who I was told to fear, who would kill on sight didn't seem that threatening. At least until my seventy-third raid.

Everything was going according to plan and there had yet to be any incident. I'd seen a few dragons get caught in nets but they were able to get out quickly; all but one, a kin-lava-blast whom even with a heightened attribute to speed as opposed to his kin, still couldn't escape. I saw the dragon get driven in the chest by a human's artificial claw and the dragon screamed in terrible pain as he writhed in the dirt. At last the terrible sounds ceased as the claw dragged down his chest cutting him open. There was no hope for him, we were already on our way home. I looked back in sorrow, the silence among my comrades was deafening; we just glided along the sky, silently thinking about our lost friend.

"Ohhh, Screechfire. Shadowdigger isn't going to like this at all," A kin-rage-fire of a purple tinge mourned.

"Who's Shadowdigger?" I asked, slightly confused.

"Shadowdigger is Screechfire's mate," A kin-twin-head said to my left, pulling up alongside me. "They were drowned in love for one another and come next mating season they were going to have kids."

"Oh," I murmured feeling even worse. "That's horrible. Do you know where her den is?"

"It's in the farthest corner of their kin's cave. She and Screechfire preferred more privacy than most dragons and since they were mates, the queen let them have a den of their own."

I closed my eyes settling on a decision. "I'd like to pay my condolences."

The others shared a concerned glance. "Take care Toothless. She will not take it well," the kin-twin head warned me.

Butterflies began to fill my stomach in anticipation as we returned to the nest. My arrival caught the attention of the other kin-lava-blasts and when they saw the direction I was heading only fear and sorrow filled their eyes. At last I reached the end of the cave and saw a kin-lava-blast sitting in the corner enclave, curled up in blissful peace. I landed and took a deep breath trying my best to believe it would be alright. She noticed my arrival and looked up at me, not smiling but rather with a shard of worry and nervousness. I sighed as she saw me and took my place with an earnest tone

"Shadowdigger?" I asked, not expecting a serious answer.

"Y… Yes," She said in a soft and caring voice.

"I'm Toothless, I'm on your mate's scouting team," I introduced myself.

Her eyes widened and a colder sensation ran through my dorsal spines, "What's happened, has he been captured again?"

I could feel the trembling in my paws, the dreaded truth at the tip of my tongue. "No. He's been killed, b… by humans."

She froze, practically dead herself as she fought to deny the truth. "He got too close to the humans. They caught him and… used their strange claws..."

"Leave," she mumbled with the pain left to consume her.

"I'm so sorry…" I tried a step towards her in comfort only for her eyes to thin in ravenous slits.

"LEAVE!" She screeched. "GET OUT, GET OUT!" She swiped her stubby claws at me.

I evaded them just in time as feeling my heart pound in fear. I could feel all the eyes around the den resting upon me, piercing through my hide to see the sheer terror that I embodied. I scuttled away driving a hard path back to my den to the hallowed roars echoing behind me; the dreadful cries that refused to disappear continuing to haunt me for months afterwards. I'm not speaking figuratively either; Shadowdigger was still crying, the nights would sometimes bring her cries in a soft echo throughout the cave. She'd lost more than just a mate, she lost her soul mate.

One night they just stopped. No one said anything nor did they know why.

* * *

 _ **The Third Winter…**_

The raids grew more trying, more were lost and, in the wake, more would feel the pain of having lost one's mate, one's hatchlings and neighbor. After Shadowdigger's outburst, I quickly began to distinguish the difference between the soft howls of physical pain to those weary from mourning. It was like having something pushing against my head all the time, this constant pressure making it hard to concentrate. Even in my isolation, I grew agitated; I wasn't comfortable, nor did I feel safe. Even Shiverwing had been molded in a light that instead of being a welcoming comfort his presence was merely tolerable. I didn't understand why; he'd done nothing wrong and for my best efforts I just couldn't see past the fog. A seasonal meeting with the Red Queen called Shiver and I together in her presence; one in which she asked us simple questions about our time here in the nest. We answered the questions honestly despite the foreign sense of self; only, there came a question where I felt newly out of sorts, as if I was watching myself.

"Would you like to be put in the same flock," The Red Qure asked calmly.

I snarled, somewhat surprising myself but at the same time convicted to my feelings. I had no reason for it and I knew in my heart it contradicted every prior desire; of course I wanted Shiver to be in my flock, he was my brother.

"What...? Toothless?" Shiverwing looked at me trapped by confusion.

I could feel my teeth sprouting from my gums and a nasty hiss emanating with them. I lunged at him with a threatening growl, my front claws swiping at his face just as Shadowdigger had tried. For both our fortune Shiver jumped out of the way, at least until my other claw swung outwardly slicing at his leg. He yelped in pain scurrying away with nothing but fear and confusion in his eyes. It was only then that the fog lifted, and I felt the chilling vibrations run down my body.

'Shiverwing?' I said weakly, placing one paw towards him.

Shiverwing was breathing heavily as was I, then without a second glance I fled from the presence; neither the Queen nor Shiver tried to stop me as I powered through the air towards my den. It was terrifying, unlike anything I had known nor thought possible. I lay there crying for hours until a soft breeze wafted towards me. Peering towards the main entrance I found a sight I never thought I'd ever see again; Shiverwing, wearing a solemn expression. However, he stood there for a moment longer; long enough to see him trembling. Perhaps it was my scrambled mind playing tricks, I could be sure, but he was gone in the blink of an eye leaving to cast my mind back to sleep. If that were ever possible…

* * *

The weeks passed and every single one of my raids grew in peril. I saw a lot of my fellow raiders die; killed by the humans. By my one hundredth raid, in the summer of my third winter with the Red Qure, I'd seen as many as thirty-four deaths. However, on my one hundred twelfth raid a near death experience left a mark I was sure never to forget. It began with the ever-growing stakes and a sense of power I had grown accustomed to. None could challenge my might; I was destruction from the darkness.

Of course, I was also still young, naïve and entirely vulnerable to a well-placed shot; many nets and iron claws were being thrown at me and it was the luck of a sharp eyed human that tripped me with a net. I blasted a quick shot of fire that ripped through the ropes only to crash into one of their structures; the angled peaks shattering on impact as I bounced off them and onto the ground. I could feel the pain coursing down my back as I warily hobbled into the darkness before stretching out my wings for a hasty escape. They had yet to find me yet I could hear their unintelligible cries of triumph echo over the clash of metal claws.

At that time, I knew not what they cheered but I remember their words as such. "We got it! We got the devil!" A robust female cheered plunging her mace into the air. "Gobber, circle in from the left. Make sure it hasn't escaped!"

It was a victory short lived as I felt a surge of energy burn through me, one born of a rage I had never known. I filled the air with my cry and charged a blast so terrible they were stunned to more than just silence.

"Oh no," the woman gasped as her mace fell from her hand.

For both the first and last time in all my raids, I revealed myself to the light of their flaming towers for but a moment. That night they saw my scales which shone as black as the deepest depths; it would be the last thing they ever saw. I aimed for their monument, a tower raised in the center of their salf heralding some champion of their past and with one swift blow it shattered into fire and stone. I was gone to the shadow of night before they even had a chance to recover; the shards of their broken memories a brutal… but just way to die. Yet my reign of terror did not end there. I swept through their channels sending structure after structure into flames with blasts like the light that would illuminate the sky during a storm. I smiled as I did it, my lust for revenge no less blinding than the fog in my mind during the past months. I circled around on the sea side ready for yet another assault, but I was stayed; a commanding call from one of my fellow dragons stopped me.

"Toothless!" He yelled, pulling me from my rage filled trance. "Enough. Let them crawl with what little they have left."

I grunted, a huff of steam billowing from my nose. "Fine. Another night."

He chuckled at the remark beckoning me to head back home, to which I happily obliged casting an eye to the human salf one last time. I could still feel it, the heat of the flames that engulfed their home.

* * *

 _ **The Fourth Winter…**_

The fourth winter began with a bang, quite literally. The late evening of my Winterday saw me, as was normal for this one day of the winter, sitting in my den, waiting for it to be over so I could continue raiding. Not that the raids were any better; they were preferable to sulking in boredom. A sudden scraping sound echoed from the opening to my den. Now, I knew at the point I heard the sound that wasn't Sliverfire or Shiverwing; I'd grown used to a certain _tradition_ where I was attacked and beaten by vengeful dragons every few days. The worst was when five dragons attacked me at once but if the raids had taught me anything; I was quite resourceful with my fire. Two fled in fear, the others wounded and beaten but their leader; I blinded him the same way I heat my rock bed.

They should have learned by now but this day, I would not be so lucky. This day left me marked with a permanent scar on my body. It was a yellow kin-rage-fire who I worked with; one who I'd grown to be wary of as his mood which steadily became more resentful with each raid. He had the look of hatred in his eyes and I groaned, less so from the aches and bruises over my body but of their inability to learn.

"Toothless," he said, forcefully, "You're done. You're going to bring home food one way or another. Don't think you're special because you have the strongest fire."

"Morning to you too-" I lazily returned before he interrupted me.

"There are no exceptions! Bring home food or die," he stated with searing malice.

"No," I said confidently, taking to my feet. "I do not steal for others. I catch only what I need."

"Traitor! I would hang you to the Queen myself!" he growled but I was quick to interject.

"If not for what?" I squared him up taking a threatening stance. "I protect my flock."

"You are a savage. You have no control, no pride for the nest. You dwell here like a king of your own. You believe in nothing!" The kin-rage-fire scathed.

"I believe in honor! And I see none in theft."

"Honor? You would turn the human salf's to ash leaving nothing but death and decay! We need them. The human's tend to those lands, breed their creatures and stock their homes with food; food for our Queen. But you do not care; revenge alone controls you,"

"The human's left me to die alone!" I retorted, my anger rising.

The kin-rage-fire narrowed his eyes with a snarl. "And alone you are still. Even your own brother has abandoned you!"

I felt an exploding rage grip hold of me and I rushed him. Though, I was a fool to charge in heated by fury as he predicted it before my eyes. He swept his claws to the side and extended his wing parrying my attack; I was sent tumbling out of the edge with a spray of dust as my claws scraped the ledge. I struggled to flip myself over but even as my wings caught the volcanic air, a set of claws grappled onto me tearing us both of the air and onto a nearby bluff. We crashed, though I was still locked in his grip and as we skidded to a halt, he glared at me with feverous amber eyes. I was pinned under his weight unable to break free when an agonizing blaze of pain pounded from my neck. He had driven his horn through my layer of scales piercing the fleshy hide beneath, fresh crimson blood already seeping from the wound. My cry blazed through the nest startling all who heard and when I thought that in my own arrogance I had brought upon my fatality, another force ripped the kin-rage-fire away. I was weak but I would never forget those eyes; Shiverwing for all my horrors saved me.

He backed up splaying his wings in a protective shield around me as my attacker prepared for another strike. Though, he seemed off for some reason; like the fire in his eyes was disappearing completely and just like that, he collapsed into a heap of laborious breaths. Shiverwing's arrival was soon followed by a group of four kin-sharp-spines who surrounded my attacker prodding and licking at his hide.

"The fool. He knew this would happen," one of the dragons said, "The rupturing's spread, there's no saving him from this."

With a sharp glance, their leader nodded towards Shiver and myself. "Get them somewhere safe and tend to his wound."

"The Qure won't like this," another spoke softly as I was bundled up with the help of Shiverwing.

"The Qure doesn't need to know," the leader said softly but sternly.

I was soon lain to rest in my den with the kin-sharp-spine working her best to clean my wound. "Shiver…" I whispered hoarsely.

"Stay still Toothless. This will hurt," the kin-sharp-spine ignited her flame in a thin stream along my wound instantly cauterizing it.

I howled at the blistering heat, but I wasn't nearly as painful as the flame of the words I would shortly hear. "You'll wear this mark for the rest of your life but at least you'll live. Watch him," she instructed Shiverwing before swooping out of the den.

Shiverwing cast her an emotionless eye right to the end before his expression grew remorseful as he laid down next to me. "Don't take it too personally. They've healed hundreds of dragons over the winters; it's hardened them, but they do care."

"Shiver. I don't… why are you here," I breathed through heavy breaths.

His eyes cast away for a brief moment before they found mine directly, the first time in many moons. "I went to Sliverfire after you… ran away. He introduced me to the sisters, and they healed my leg."

I winced from the added guilt on top of the burning sensation already on my chest. "I'm so sorry."

"It's just a scratch," he played it off nonchalantly. "Sliverfire instructed me to keep an eye on you in that if you were ever in serious danger, like today. Only then could we interfere."

I found myself staring into his eyes with an untraceable sense of betrayal but gratitude, nonetheless. "I know what you're thinking Toothless," he closed his eyes as his own guilt flood. "Just know that it broke my heart to stay away."

"Shiverwing," I winced under another throb of pain. "I think we made a mistake in coming here."

"Hey. We'll be alright. Sliverfire and the sisters are on our side. They can help us leave if we want," Shiver smiled hopefully.

To his dismay I could only shake my head in dismay. "I don't know if we can. There's something wrong with this place. I can feel it."

With weeks having passed, the wound was finally healed with no more than a scar. Even to the present day some thirty winters later, it has never truly faded. However, it's not all that very noticeable lest for those who know where it is but if you look closely you can see the line along the right side of my neck. It can still hurt on occasion, but a physical scar will never compare to a psychological one.

Four moons passed since I received that scar and I was still seeing dragons killed. It was like some kind of energy that fueled the fog over my mind again; the screeches of their pain and agony sometimes causing me to shake uncontrollably. Some days I was clear and free to my own thoughts whereas others it was no different to the time I lashed out at Shiverwing. In that regard, the growing distance we'd set between ourselves was gone and we enjoyed our days as brothers finding whatever joy we still could in a nest of pain, violence and cannibalism. Somehow, I think he knew when my mind was under siege in that he would keep his distance despite the heaviness in his heart. I couldn't deny it any longer; I was ill and in the depths of my own being I had to watch myself fall in and out of a state of rage centered around my brother. Despite all of which I endured; more assaults, thicker resistance from the human salfs and my worsening state of mind, a part of me found deep within my core knew why.

* * *

One night I woke up long after the dragon's rituals had finished, unable to get back to sleep. I knew it was futile to grind away at finding peace in which to sleep by so I journeyed from my den listening to the soft hum of the nest. It was a sense of peace I'd longed to feel where at once the was silence in both body and mind. I think at last the other dragons had learnt; they didn't come during the night to ambush me anymore especially now that I had grown to my mature size. I swooped down the catacombs melding with the shadows before arcing into the den of kin-rage-fires. Shiverwing had long since outgrown me; he was nearly double my size but there he still lay on the bottom shelf filling it much unlike when we first arrived.

"Shiver," I whispered loud enough for him to hear.

He turned his head and looked at me. "Toothless," he said, cheerily.

I snuggled down at his side resting my head against my forepaws. "What's brought you down here so late?'

I shrugged despite knowing full well why I was there. "I couldn't sleep."

He smiled and joined me curling his neck around to face me. "Sounds fair. It's been a long time since the nest was this quiet." He chuckled. "You're not here to kill me, are you?"

"I'll try not to," I said somewhat matching his mirth before my expression fell into solemnness. "I don't know Shiverwing. I feel like I'm there but I'm not in control; like there's something else and it wants me to try and… hurt you. I don't know why."

"Yeah," Shiverwing said, "Don't hold yourself down too hard, you and I both know something's out of place. Besides, we've lasted this long."

"It's a nice thought Shiver, but I don't think it's possible," I sighed digging into the growing conspiracy on my mind.

"Hey, we'll figure it out, together," he smiled with surety.

It was no ease to the growing fears on my mind; for too long the threads of thought were weaving themselves into an idea that with each became too real to ignore. "Shiverwing," I said, settling on revelation than silent suspicion. "Has anyone ever told you where the Red Qure comes from?"

Shiverwing lay there in silence as I retold the story Sliverfire passed onto me; a dark and bloody history that framed our _benevolent_ Queen with malevolence. It was like unveiling a shade from over his eyes that his prior enthusiasm was drowned by this dark reality.

"I never thought on it. Since we've been here, I've always known what to do, where to go and how to return. The ideas feel more like instinct with no memory of their inception, as if it was always the way. But it's just her, we were spellbound by her song and followed it here," Shiverwing assembled the pieces. "We raid for food to serve the Qure. We gather material to serve the Qure."

I was not so sold on that simple frame of mind. "Fail to deliver and the Qure serves you. These dragons, they aren't workers, they're slaves."

"But you've resisted her," he shuffled in realization pushing up on his wing's claws. "You said you could feel yourself being controlled. When we first flew here, I remember you wanted to turn back."

"I'm sure that was a once off, I haven't been able to do it since," I deflected the idea.

"It doesn't mean you should stop trying. We're older now, more mature, we're stronger. If you could do it then, I'm willing to bet my left wing you could do it now," Shiverwing smiled.

"And then what, I'd be alone in an army of slaves. The Qure would sense it," I tried to dissuade his valiant plans.

"We can find Sliverfire and the sisters. They'd help us…" he suggested but I already knew the twisted reality.

"No, they won't. We can't trust any of them anymore; they all serve the Queen," I could feel the pain rising in my throat, the terrible inescapable truth. "You serve the Queen now."

"During light of day maybe," he wrapped his wing over me. "But here, right now. I am your brother Toothless."

I closed my eyes to fight the pain. "Thank you, Shiverwing."

"Don't worry about me. I'll be alright," he tried to reassure me.

"I always worry about you. It's part of the job," I cracked a grin as he chuckled softly.

Slowly he relinquished his cover allowing me to stand tall and creep back towards the entrance. "Get some rest. We'll find away."

* * *

 _ **The Fifth Winter…**_

The halfway point is upon us. Five winters in and you might understand why this was the worst ten winters of my life. It passes as such simply for the fact that when they started back when I was a mere five winters old, all that I was doing in my life was uncomfortable and I was disgusted at what I was doing, as a result I call this the worst ten winters of my life. However, the ten winters weren't without their good learning experiences, as I would discover during the summer of my fifth winter here. A simple mistake that I thought I would get killed for turned into a great learning experience from the Red Queen. I was walking to get some food when suddenly, I felt a claw graze my back. Turning around, I saw a blue and yellow kin-sharp-spine looking directly at me with intent in his eyes; his action was with intent.

"What?" I said to him.

He growled and rushed me. Out of retaliation, shock and perhaps instinct, I jumped to the right and fired a blast at him. He yelled in pain before I shot him a second time, killing him instantly. At that point, I realized my mistake and began to run only for the familiar rumbling to begin. The Red Queen was rising. She appeared out of the orange fog, a similar sight to my first day here, seeing the lava running down her back and head. She turned and looked at me, disappointed.

"Toothless." She said in her usual deep voice. "What did you do?"

There was no use lying, not to her. "I was on my way to eat when he clawed me. I turned to face him but he growled and rushed me; I guess it was just instinct but I shot him twice," I said, trying to remain calm.

She shook her head and breathed out slowly. "Come with me," she said, disappearing.

Usually when the Red Queen said to follow, it was to our den for a private conversation. So, I flew back up to my den and waited patiently for her head to appear out of the entrance. Soon, she appeared and looked at me with a neutral expression.

"What did I do?" I said nervously.

"What you did, was self-defense," she said firmly, "I can't fault you for using instincts but I cannot let this pass unatoned. As a result, your punishment will be less severe, but should it ever happen again, you'll leave me little choice."

Out of relief, I smiled; though, I still had to learn what my punishment would be. The late hours of sunset were upon us and as a result, the punishment wouldn't have much effect at such a time of day.

"From tonight and every night onto seven sunrises, you shall clear any waste you find around the nest," she explained with neither sympathy or contempt.

My punishment was charged and that I did for seven nights.

* * *

So, there's one thing about raids I never discussed; we have a preflight assembly. Our flock leader manages us for a seasonal cycle maintaining numbers and flight paths. It was nearly my three hundredth raid where certain news arrived that would instill a shard of pain.

The flock leader stepped back and said, "We have a new member to our flock. Moving from the south ocean, everyone welcome Shiverwing."

I froze, not looking at anyone nor roaring in affirmation; I stood there in silence. My flock leader just said Shiverwing had come to our flock. For his own safety, I wanted him to not be a part of my flock. Not because I didn't like him, but because I had wanted to hurt him. Or at least, the Red Queen part of me did. I wasn't paying attention for the ten minutes that my flock leader was speaking. He told us some news that, even now I don't remember. All I know is, I was in deep worry and thought about Shiverwing. I only came out of my entranced state when he barked for takeoff. Instead of following, I stayed my paws and watched as Shiverwing followed the pack.

"Toothless!" My flock leader, whose name I never learned walked up beside me, "The flock is gone, what stays you?"

"Shiverwing…" I said, cutting myself off and feeling the conscious edge of observation.

The flock leader gave me a look of expectancy, waiting for me to continue. "Shiverwing is my brother," I finally said.

"Then what's the problem?" he stated plainly.

In light of the past winters and where we stood in the eyes of the Queen, I knew the strange conflict between us as volatile but somewhat unique. By spreading word of what happened that day, it wouldn't serve favorably to either of us; after all, I wanted us to be working together for many winters. It was a dangerous compromise now but when weighted against our secret, what choice did I have?

'Nothing,' I said flatly before taking off after the flock.

The raid like so many others was over in little time and casualties were at a minimum. I spied Shiverwing several times during the chaos, uninhibited by a in his actions for the flock; in my heart I wanted to honor his efforts but it wasn't safe, not like this.

* * *

 _ **The Sixth Winter…**_

I couldn't bring myself to work with Shiverwing much. When I was doing my raids, I'd rather not have to worry about my brother and focus on the work. But that didn't stop me from seeing him every time I could. A simple, late-night leave from my den straight to his, where he and I would just sit in each other's company. However, one late evening in the spring of the sixth winter, it would come crashing down.

I'd done my regular leave from my den, being as stealthy as I could, but as I was passing Sliverfire's den, he must have seen me, because I heard him speak out of the darkness.

"Toothless." He said, peering at me from the darkness.

I froze and turned to face him, looking down to the ground. "Sorry… I," I said, turning around and heading back to my den.

"No," he said, stopping me, "Tell me what you are doing?"

"I'm…" I hesitated feeling the weight of his eyes upon me, "I'm going to Shiverwing's den."

The ridges above his eyes pursed in thought; he didn't seem too upset about it, but he did seem… confused. "Why?" He said, "You have no reason to."

"We don't see each other enough," I countered, "I figured going to see him would be nice."

Sliverfire sighed. "I see. I suppose it's not much of something that could get you in trouble if you're going to another den. It might be good to tell this to the Qure, but I won't."

I nodded and continued my way to Shiverwing's den. He seemed to be tired, so he went back to bed, seeming to ignore me evermore after that. Every night then on, I'd see the glow of his eyes; we'd share a nod and that would be it. When it came to the flocks, I can't say that I was unhappy, but more… uncomfortable with the new position I was set in. I did get a straight answer from the queen in regard to changing my raid schedule; a flat no, so our time together became nearly constant from our twilight visits. During the day it built upon my feeling of dread in my core that made me want to regurgitate any and all fluids in my stomach. This feeling kept building for weeks and after time it would overflow like storms on the changing of the seasons.

* * *

Every raid, I stayed as far from Shiverwing as possible to focus on my efforts forward. He never questioned my evasive intents with him; he knew my reasons for staying away, he was smart and I knew that. From time to time our conversations needn't be spoken. However, during the late fall I was in Shiverwing's den as I had been for many nights. We were resting in complete silence when my vision faded out of all color and the world became nothing more than blurred shapes and light. My last reigning thought, true to sense knew she had come; the Queen was battling for control. I felt the drilling pain, the parasitic nature of her influence but it was too strong. Shiverwing was on his feet backing away, now aware of my inner torment as I brushed at my head and thrashed my tail around. I rammed myself against the wall to try and shake her advances, a futile effort if not more to her purchase.

"Run,' I barked between the lapses of her mental barrage. 'Shiver run!"

I tried my hardest to hold her off, it was nauseating, an attack unlike anything I had felt before. Her strength was that which I could not rival and I could only watch as my limbs drove forward on their own and lunged at Shiverwing. He scampered out of the way but my grip was sharper, digging one of my paws into his chest and with bared teeth, I went straight for his neck. Shiver cried out in terrible pain before tumbling over with failing wings in an attempt to fling me away; he succeeded no less slamming me into the wall before spewing a wall of fire between us. I couldn't guess why but the world returned to its natural state, color filling my mind and with it, clarity. The Queen had let go, her intentions fulfilled or delayed; these were not apparent thoughts, not before the terror in my heart and the sadness.

I looked around me and noticed all the dragons in the other dens were looking down on Shiverwing's den, where I stood, a trembling mess. Shiverwing was standing with his wounds trickling blood but in his features was not rage nor fear but the same sadness I bore. The flames were dying out and at last he stepped towards me but I could not bare to face it. I bolted away, with the soft hums of the other dragons to fill the cave as I powered to my den away from the others. My legs betrayed me as I collapsed in an effort to reach my slab instead passing into mourning and unsullied grief. How could've I faced him again, what right did I have to face my own brother?

* * *

 _ **The Seventh Winter...**_

The raids came and passed and still my distance remained true in spite of Shiver's growing aptitude. He was stronger than ever, pushing through the barricades with ease and all for a spectacle; like a true kin rage-fire, he reveled in his strength and an audience. I had the capacity to feel pride for him, my fears of the pain I could unleash under the Queen's eye momentarily subdued; My brother was proving himself a great hero of our kind. Evidently his wariness was drowned in affect as Shiverwing had now taken it upon himself to come up to my den. It was a welcome surprise that first night and under the cover of darkness, we found an instance of peace; as if the turmoil that spoiled our hearts were but shadows of another world. Weeks passed on and I could say they were our best in many years of servitude; in a time before I met my human companion and my own wonderous lady love. I wonder if it was my own foolishness to think the future would hold a brighter edge. Though, to say that would be a lie; I first had to experience the worst of pain. The Red Queen, or as I have since come to know her, the Red Death requested an audience in the lower caverns staged by her lava filled abode. It came without any pretense, nor a mind as to her coming reason but I would soon find out and like any regret, you look to what may have been had you done something different.

The lower cleft was empty for only myself when the Queen finally rose in greeting. "My Qure," I bowed humbling myself in light of the spontaneity.

"Have you seen the sun today Eli?" she opened peering up towards the mountain peak. "The clouds do not cover her beauty and the weather is fair, only a light breeze."

I shook my head; dawn had not long since passed. "Are there plans to use it to our advantage?"

"Yes, but none concerning yourself. Flocks gathering in the South East are said to return with a bountiful harvest and combined with your actions today, I cannot help but smile," she drew in a long and satisfied inhale.

"My actions? I haven't done anything," I eyed her cautiously.

She returned to eye level soaking in the fires of her den. "Not yet. Though, I'm confident you will perform… valiantly. For your sake."

These circumstances were gloomy despite the supposed circumstances of the outside world; whether she was hinting at something sinister or not was beyond me. Given the past winters of her intervention however, I had reason to feel wary.

"At your command my Qure, thank you," I began reserving myself from the appraisal with another bow.

"Where are you going?" she rose to cast her shadow over me.

I could hear a voice like an echo on the winds only it felt closer as if being channeled into my mind. I feel now as though I should have seen it coming; the way my limbs froze as the cloud threatened to settle over my senses was thick but not blinding. I grunted pushing back against the advance and to my surprise, the cloud lifted, and the world focused at will. In truth, the Red Queen's expression was more precarious than my own; where I was brimming with that familiar edge of distain, she was more than just irritated. I could see in those six eyes if not for a moment, fear. It was gone as quickly as it came, replaced with contempt but nonetheless an inkling I never forgot.

"I should be impressed; you have indeed grown strong, with compassion to drive you," her eyes narrowed, and I could feel it pierce through my hide. "I know how you find comfort and the lengths you would go to preserve this livelihood between you and your familiar."

My heart was accelerating as she described the illicit activity Shiver and I partook. "Try as I have, you refuse to resign yourself truly to me. But I have not the patience nor the intent to let it last; I thought in your freedoms you would serve without hesitation, clearly a misjudgment as you rage destruction with raw hate only in mind of your own desires. I worked to bend your mind for the good of the nest but once again you resisted, even in maiming Shiverwing you continued to rebel."

The secret was out, my shield protecting me from the Queen's watchful eye broken and so I fled, my wings carrying me away only to crash headfirst into the volcanic stone. Her will was determined to bring me to silence but in the face of death, I had the strength to push on. I would have made it, hauled Shiverwing if I had to and drag us to freedom if not for the one thing we both overlooked.

"Sliverfire?" I froze feeling the dreaded chill run through to my paws.

"Hello, Eli," he said plainly.

I scrambled away, the flood of betrayal capturing me whole, "No, no wha..? Why?"

"Didn't it occur to you?" the Queen chuckled from behind him. "His life began here in this mountain, his mind a subject of my own nurturing; Sliverfire is no more than a vessel of my bidding."

"That's not true, he's my friend!" I retorted feeling the walls beginning to close in. "And the sisters, you sent Shiver to them. They saved my life, you saved my life," I turned back to Sliverfire.

"Because I told him to," the Queen revealed, feeding off my fear. "Everything he told you is just my echo; the other dragons, my subjects in a network of communication and obedience. Even your brother."

There, from within the billowing fog, Shiverwing exposed his graceful form as he prowled towards me with petrifyingly thin eyes. "You've always remained loyal to each other, even in your darkest times. No more, he belongs to me now."

"Shiver?" I gasped, edging back toward Sliverfire.

His teeth were bared, and a thin stream of smoke wisped from his nostrils; it was the same mindless daze I knew, one he described to me many times. "No," I whispered, clenching my eyes shut.

"No, no, NO Shiverwing!" the frantic rate that my heart raced rattled my paws as I turned toward the Queen. "Stop this. Please, leave Shiver out of this he's… he's done nothing wrong! I'm the one you want; I'm the one who's rogue. Take out your vengeance on me!"

The Queen peered down upon me before growing a malevolent grin. "I am."

As if I couldn't be filled with more dread, she proved me wrong once again as Shiverwing charged me down. His claws were outstretched and ready to tear scales from flesh as I rolled out of the way; the stone sarking under his grip as he scurried for another strike. My focus was lost to the Queen and Sliverfire; only Shiverwing was in my eyes even as I took to the air tearing away from his ravenous snarls. The Queen focused her grip on my mind in an attempt to force me back to the earth but in my frenzied state, it was too sporadic to hold resisting her completely. Shiverwing took my hesitation to his advantage ripping me out of the air and we tumbled in a cloud of dust down the catacomb terrace. I hunted for an exit amongst the chaos but snapping teeth tore my attention as Shiver's larger size pinned me down. I batted at his jaw scrambling for relief before rolling us over as I would when we were younger. I launched into the air again letting several plasma blasts loose around him in a thick cloud of dust and fumes. He would follow, that much I was sure but in the depths of the nest there were shadows cast in every direction.

The safety of my element would buy me time at least though I did not know what else. Tucked away in a dark crevasse, I slinked along its rut until the peak was in view. A great rumbling reverberated off the walls as light spilled in the darkness; Shiverwing's fire coated the walls leaving me as a silhouette. He charged through the divide splitting the rocky lips on impact; his movements were false, a creature blindly trampling as two minds fought for control. I slipped out of the rut with Shiver's claws brushing over me at every turn before hauling myself towards the peak. I look back and wish that somehow, I could have torn Shiverwing from that dreadful place; in the mindless, terrified vision that plagued me then, the blinding rays of light were my only salvation and nothing more.

A hope lost, dragged down in a tangle of limbs and claws as Shiverwing enveloped me in his ravenous embrace. We crashed once more, bone rattling to say the least and smothered with dust and ash as I tumbled away. Everything was lost to a swirling haze, my balance lost as I struggled to my paws and if only an inkling of relief were to be found. This day, this horrible day would bring me none nor would I find peace for winters to come; the demonic image I will never forget as Shiverwing rose. His right wing was bent out of place and stained with blood, he limped hauntingly and still those eyes locked onto my own as if there was nothing else in the world.

"Shiverwing," I panted feeling the aches of my own limbs. "Shiverwing, brother please. Stop. Snap out of it!" I cried.

This dragon dragging its limbs before me was a ghost, a tormented creature of malevolence and bitterness. I pleaded so hard, begged for it all to end, the agony in his body undeniable despite what his eyes showed. This was not my brother, the foul and cruel incarnation of a creature created to haunt me; I've had to live with the memory, but I dare not associate them as one and the same. The kin-rage-fire before me was a demon of the Queen, a kindred and compassionate soul left to torment and suffering. I see myself only in the eyes of weakness no matter what others may say; I could have saved Shiverwing if only I tried harder, I could have. Fled to another world far from that evil place, but I still wonder if I had, would the world be as it is now? Regardless, his body was in ruin, his mind imprisoned and tortured but his soul; that I did save if nothing else.

"Forgive me, Eli," the fires of my rage and my sorrows charged and with one precise blast, I freed him from the anguish.

The explosion crackled with energy and smoke billowing in an indigo haze and behind it all, those amber eyes lost their glow before closing forever. My legs gave way and I collapsed to the stone at the bottom of that hell; the clearing smoke revealing my efforts and my true power.

"Let this be your lesson, for the sake of the nest," the Queen's words were faint on my mind before she rose higher to address the growing crowds alerted by the commotion. "Let not your fears spoil this beautiful day, for we have witnessed a true test of courage, strength and loyalty by one of our own. Some might accuse him of being rogue, a traitor to the nest. I can assure you that in his moment of truth; Toothless did not disappoint, he proved himself loyal and defeated his brother Shiverwing. Mourn if you must, but come tomorrow, he will lead the charge East as once again we raid the salf most notorious to our cause."

The nest filled with the triumphant roars of the dragons as they all bowed with shimmering wings. "As I told you, you performed valiantly Eli," the Queen whispered to me before disappearing into the fiery depths of her nest.

* * *

Grieving is hard. To lose someone you loved so much that you never wanted to say goodbye only to watch them fall before you, unable to act. It bears an insoluble emptiness like dust on the wind. Then, as it was with Logan, I had to reconcile myself to move forward on what was a lonely path at first. Shiverwing's death remains the hardest part of my life as a whole; my grieving over his loss still lasts to this day. Few dragons dare to admit their sorrows over a lost brother, especially those unrelated by blood. Many dragons have since asked as to why I hold such heavy emotions in his wake; I always tell them the same thing. _It doesn't matter how you're related, if you loved them, you'll cry for them._

The days following Shiverwing's death were stretched into relentless agony; I knew I had to obey the Red Queen to all ends. If the choice were mine, I wouldn't have gone through with the raid but her machinations within the nest ran deep and I was but a prisoner. Even as the sun rose in time for my great assignment, the Queen wasn't satisfied with her tempering; she woke me at the cusp of dawn with the audacity to gloat.

"Fair morning to you, Eli," she said, a little too cheerily for my personal liking.

I would endure her conceited wrath for some time yet; it took all my constraint not to lash out. "My Qure," I begrudgingly acknowledged.

She released a throaty chuckle as I shook off my sleep deprived state. "Come the turn of the moon, my finest will be in your command," she spoke eloquently. "Use today to prepare, if you must."

My silence followed with her departure; I dragged myself from the ground and overlooked the nest from my den. Every single dragon I knew was out roaming around the nest; it seemed they were unfazed in attending their daily needs. Their lives went onwards whilst mine remained suspended in a bubble of contortion and grief. I tore my gaze away and collapsed back onto my slab; everything was fresh in my mind, the shrill screeches, the agonizing collisions and the soulless eyes of my deceased brother.

I may have lain there all day; it wouldn't have changed anything as the softness of the horizon eventually grew dark and my time drew near. They were all waiting in an arc with firm eyes that tracked my solemn steps; a flock of my own to lead, a team under my charge and all the while I knew that what they saw was the fabled, merciless hunter. My reputation proceeded me and it was a respect I felt was misplaced; the humans may have cowered in terror and rightly so, I rained fire upon them willingly but I didn't deserve the respect of my kin, not after yesterday. The Queen had played her game well, tangling me up as the centerpiece of her masterful deception. Despite all this, how I burned with dread and sorrow from fresh wounds, these dragons were willing to listen and follow; if just to endure her looming presence, perhaps her advantage could become my own. I wasn't sure how at the time; I was struck by the looks of reverence as I passed into the center of the arc. The seasons would cycle on before I found some relative comfort again, forever in memory, never forgotten and never stalled. Shiverwing's memory was mine to care now.

* * *

 _ **The Eighth Winter…**_

The moment came some time during the eighth winter; it still struck me by surprise and of a pleasant one at that. "I don't believe I've ever seen you smile Toothless," an older Kin-Rage-Fire approached from behind as I overlooked the parade of dragons feasting at their own leisure.

My flock was something I'd grown proud of in the winter following Shiverwing's death. I can't say they were sympathetic to my personal plight more in that they continued to revere my skills as a hunter and consequently a leader. I'd learned to separate the ideals of the Queen away from those under my charge; it was a strange impasse to arrive at as the inner trials of our community brought terrible forecasts on a daily basis but we all stood against single threat. The relationship between two different kinds of chaos somehow bred order or at least assimilation in the Queen's sake. I pushed through with her commands and in turn it formed a wall against any suspicions; though, I never forgot who I was. I remained untouched in the wake of my loss; at last I could say I found a sense of piece in this hellish prison. The Queen no longer had the means to invade my mind in a twist of fate I'm not sure she predicted. Whether she realized this or not was unknown at the time but there was reason to suspect she was catching up again. I had a shadow, granted it's not as if my actions spoke against me. Nonetheless, this kin-saw-tooth never failed to spare a cursory glance my way.

The feast I mentioned was but one of a few tucked away from the Queen's watchful eye; not a raid of any sort but a celebration of our own desire, to small losses and large bounties. The salf was as mighty as ever, that fact never waned but there was an oddity about it in recent winters. There were some amongst the flock who liked to flair their might and grow with arrogance and ego whereas others resigned tot eh notion of sheer luck. Perhaps it was both, so long as we were making our share, I didn't pay much mind beyond keeping the Queens eye elsewhere.

Stormtrapper's comment had me return to the present as I considered his observation. "Really?" Strangely enough, he may have been right; what was there to truly smile about these days?

"It's… It's tough to admit, but without you, I'd fear there would be fewer of us here today," Stormtrapper continued. "You've inspired us."

"We do what we must to survive, nothing more," I replied.

"But you've brought us more than survival," Stormtrapper nodded towards the joviality that spread across their small party. "We've been able to thrive. You've shown us what lies just beyond the reach of our Qure; you may be able to feel her presence but she cannot influence you anymore. I suppose I'm asking, were it possible, is there a way?"

"What?" I frowned in confusion. "How do you know..?"

"It's in the way you move," he cut me off with an ever watchful eye. "The legend surrounding the Qure is vague, but the truth amongst the rest of us is certain. We're afraid; it opens the mind and makes us easy to control."

I was frozen, my mind caught between the layers but what he said next is something I will never forget. "I believe the day you killed Shiverwing is the day you broke free. Your last tether was severed, ask yourself, what do you live for beyond your own survival?"

As I mentioned, my flock was a source of pride and like most dragons of the nest, I did care, but to the extent of risking self-sacrifice spoke too proudly to be true. "There's no shame in the truth Toothless, ask any one of them and come the moment I can guarantee they too, would sooner flee, myself included."

"That's inspiring," I quipped, but the irony was something we could share.

"Well there's no greater honesty. Even so, if I could ask…" he released a sigh. "Your time here has brought you terrible pain Toothless. But all of us have suffered. Please, if you could save us, we might find solace in more than just hope, see the end of a tyrant..."

I hastily turned with a warning glare. "Careful! Her eyes do not rest and her ears are always listening," I silenced him, casting a cautionary glance amongst the feast. "For the sake of your kin, do not discuss this. Thoughts like these are the reason I'm alone."

"But what if you don't have to be?" he proposed.

"You don't understand… the Qure will use you against me to get what she wants; the same way she used Shiver. You're a good dragon and… a friend. Don't throw it away like this," I stressed feeling a cold wash spread across my neck.

"Then what? We keep going on as is, nothing more than slaves?"

"If it means we survive," I looked him straight in the eye. "Say what you will Stormtrapper, but I don't want anymore dragons to die."

"Slavery is no more than a forfeit to life; we might as well be dead than meat for an army," he rebutted.

"And what about your families? Take it from someone who was raised not by their own kin," I countered once again capturing him on a personal edge. "This is the only way. We do as the Qure says. The last thing you want is to be eaten or worse, me staring you down for the kill."

"Is that so bad? At least you'd make it quick," he said.

"But you know that I hate it. Better or for worse, I've chosen sides. I suggest you choose yours," This conversation was drawing out into dangerous territory; it was risky enough to be brought up in the first place.

"What sides? You appear to align with the Qure," Stormtrapper suggested as I walked away.

I turned to face him. "The sides of life and… death," I caught the passing glance of the same kin-saw-tooth, his white eyes wearing a cool expression as though steeped in idle respect.

"Stormtrapper, who is that?" I asked suspiciously.

The Kin-rage-fire peered behind me to the spiky tail disappearing around the corner. "The kin-saw-tooth? That's Riptorn; tough dragon, spirited, something of an admirer," he noted before moving onto join the other dragons.

In the wake of our celebrations I found that his appearances grew as if he was somehow gaining confidence; I didn't know what held him back, even in our first formal encounter he never alluded to anything beyond his personal regard. He was younger though not by much and like Stormtrapper said, spirited. Spring was turning to summer

"Why are you hiding, Riptorn?" I finally voiced my awareness.

He slowly crept from shadows casting an eye of guilt; he'd been openly caught. "I prefer to keep a distance; I'm not worth your time."

"Why do you say that?" I asked him.

"I've heard stories. Once, you took on a human salf on your own, destroyed hundreds of their homes, fought off the worse of the dragons in this place…" he recited the clearly exaggerated tales of his exploits. "They call you Toothless? Is that supposed to be a joke or something?"

I retracted my teeth and watched as he stared in awe. "How about that. A myth's one thing but you are something else. They say you killed your own brother, that right?"

There was no subduing the pang of irritation that burned from my heart; the sheer nonchalance of the suggestion was something I was still growing used to. "The Qure used him. I let him die with dignity."

"Nasty work eh? Not like human salfs. You can topple them from underneath I say, provided the rock isn't too hard."

The fact of the matter was Riptorn was not inclined to hold back once given the opportunity. His raiding party travelled North to one of the smaller salfs where they bore a kin-lightning-breath on their armor and weapons. Word amongst that flock seemed to idle around Riptorn's deeds; he was building upon his own image and I could see that his interests were turning my way. He wasn't just brave, he was cunning and it was only so clear where he wished to be. Given that, I was happy to indulge; any edge against the humans was worth investing into and he was offering himself freely. I wasn't to regret this, that he assured me was true.

Riptorn nonetheless proved his tenacity and consequent aggression tearing through our Eastern Salf. Like my own, the stories surrounding him proved worthy of the name and he reveled in his own slice of glory amongst the flock. I was happy to stand back and watch as I always had, a silent observer in the web the Queen wove to ensnare her subjects and prey. All this would not have been without Shiverwing; these later months of the eighth winter seem as though the sun might shine through these blackened walls. Part of me wants to believe so but I know that in my absence, everything I gained was practically lost. The Red Death was yet to settle her debts.

* * *

 _ **The Ninth Winter…**_

I had to keep a wide angle along the Southern coast to avoid their weapons; the catapult was busting through our ranks with ease and their steel tipped arrows always wound a costly toll. My blast punched along the supports holding several overhanging structures and the humans cascading along its walk were sent tumbling into the sea. Their cries were fulfilling, satisfying that my kin was not lost without payment, I yearned their demise gleefully though my new colleague offered a strange sense of uncertainty. Riptorn hungered like a savage beast for chaos, drilling his way through the salf's structures in showers of wood and flame. We should have warned him sooner but his bloodlust was insatiable, thus leading to a fate that burns me to my core.

"Toothless, help!' Riptorn cried as the netting tangled around his coiling spines. 'Toothless!"

I was coasting a tighter angle barking commands for the other dragons extract him; the humans were cunning, that I couldn't deny and we were picked off with ease. For the sake of my company, I had no choice; in my heart I was torn between what little freedoms we had found to leaving a new friend behind. For the first time in my life, I saw fear in those cold white eyes; as I resolved myself, I settled upon a decision that was at the time, cold but necessary.

"We tried our best, but Riptorn's arrogance was his own undoing," I stated when confronted by the others.

They seemed unsettled, in a way we all were, guarded by that conscious decision to leave. I suppose that was the tough price of companionship, we had our ring of trust but at any time it could be stripped clean. In a way it was the Queen who taught me that and my natural sense of isolation was therefore inescapable. These dragons could become no more than colleagues; I would try to protect them as I always had but to deal with the grief in losing one was too taxing. Of course I was tested at every turn; the Queen didn't grow tired of tormenting me but Shiverwing was my last true tether to her slavery. One day, however many winters it took, I might have my revenge; who was I to know what the future held after all, I could die within the year.

During the days when sun shone brightest, I noticed my shadow had returned. At first I dreaded that the past was here to haunt me but this time, it wasn't a passive interest that followed my movements. I spotted him once, a blue and rather undersized Kin-Two-Head who seemed afraid. One turn of my head and he disappeared for days on end; I didn't pass any thought about it for a long time, chalked up to my general aura of mystery. Of course, my own curiosity eventually took hold and I couldn't help but follow the trail to a small group of dragons harassing him. The Kin-Two-Head was dazed upon the ground in a beaten state. Once again, it only took a single look in my direction for the other dragons to flee, the terror in their eyes no less prominent.

"Are you okay?" I asked calmly.

He was shivering with both heads wide eyed in an unfocused state, one of the eyes was swollen with a nasty scar. "Come on, let's get you help."

I leant down and scooped his catatonic form onto my back; until the shock passed, he needed a safe haven to recover. I admit the thought was ironic to the core but for the time being I was still in the Queen's favor. Sliverfire and the sisters had the means to care for him and far be it beyond them to deny a simple request, it was their duty and I had no tether to this dragon; like myself, we were alone. Upon seeing the shells of those dragons I could feel the icy grip curling around my heart; I had no intention on lingering thus placing the injured Kin-Two-Head upon a flat slab of stone in silence.

"Toothless?" Sliverfire called, but I didn't reply; I had nothing to say.

* * *

The raids become more or less a blur, the field of my induced isolation becoming even more noticeable as I continued on as a mindless drone for the Queen. On the surface there was no means for her to suspect though internally I watched everything carefully to see where her power was strongest. Age was always the consistent factor with the youth being ensnared only to be broken down over time until they reached such a state like Sliverfire. Most were lucky to retain a sense of independence or community amongst themselves but fear no less kept them in line. Given the chance, I suspected they would flee without hesitation; the Queen would therefore need to be distracted. The prominent issue that continued to trap my thoughts reigned back to my ancestors, the Night Furies that once resided in league with the Queen; were they loyal or spies after the death of Darkstrike? All I know is that they left on their own accord, if only I could ask them myself.

It wasn't for some weeks later that I finally saw the young Kin-Two-Head again; he was looking stronger and less maltreated to our first encounter. However, his wounds left a permanent mark; the right head's right eye was blinded, a milky white frosted over it but they seemed unaffected otherwise. I approached nonetheless unable to shake the curious feeling.

"You're looking better," I announced my presence.

The dragon was startled focusing in to where I emerged from the shadows. "I can only say thank you," the left head replied.

'I do what I can, but in this place, it's never quite enough," I peered up through the catacombs of rocks. "So who do I have as my shadow this time?"

"You mean there are others?" the Kin-Two-Head replied.

"Were others," I admitted which sent a chilling feeling through the young dragon. "He was lost in a raid some weeks ago," I hastily reassured them, my own instincts somewhat jarred; I was out of practice it seemed.

"Oh, I'm sorry… um my name is Gem, this is Dax," he nodded to the head with the blind eye. "Dax doesn't speak very much, he's more of the thinker."

"Of course," I noted the distant expression in the dragon's eye.

"And well, everyone knows who you are…" Gem's eyes grew wide as her focus latched onto something behind me.

No one could've predicted it and even I was lost for words. "TOOTHLESS!" A formidable force careened into my side barreling me over the edge of the ledge.

Razor sharp teeth gyrated as streams of fire billowed in hurtling waves. The dragon's tail was wrapped around me as I bashed and clawed his head away until the ground finally separated us with a hard thud. Dust floated around us but I would never forget those dead and vengeful eyes.

"Impossible," I shook my head as I shakily pushed up on my paws. "I saw them… I saw them take you."

"You, left me for dead. Everything you said about keeping us alive and you abandoned me to those savages! You're a lying hypocrite Toothless!" Riptorn snarled thrashing his tail around.

"No, you flew too close and they trapped you in their nets," I retorted facing him head on.

"Because I was alone!" he barked.

"Because you didn't listen, it was your own fault," I bared my teeth with plasma charging in my glands.

Riptorn screeched and I let loose, the blast showered him in stone and dust but the kin-saw-tooth plowed through carving his path. He curled into a grapple then dragged me across the stone before I blasted another shot into the wall. The debris showered us and I felt his grip release; the blood red haze of the nest filled the air as Riptorn struck again, his teeth grinding away through earth and stone as I drew lines of flame after him. I could feel the tremors in the ground as he dug around with the intent of striking from below. I knew his tricks and his strengths and when the stone began to quake I pounced with a razor claw to slash at his head. He screeched in pain as we tumbled deeper into the nest; the nearby dragons gathered to watch, some growing anxious as they recognized the fallen kin-saw-tooth. Gem and Dax cowered in the shadows as I continued to trash around in a burly brawl with this fierce rival. Some may have believed the Queen was guiding his mind but I knew what that looked like; this wasn't a game, Riptorn's rage was his own.

"I trusted you!" he blared streaming fire along the wall as I forced his head away.

His tail whipped around my neck hauling me up into the air; I reefed and clawed for any tenable grip using my wings to upset his rhythm as my tail knocked his head. At last my claws dug into his spines and I lurched forward sinking my teeth into his tail. Blood seeped from the deep wound, one he would wear forever and with a strangled and agonizing cry he released his hold as we both plummeted towards the ground. I spread my wings gliding in for a fluent landing as Riptorn impacted heavily, his whines echoed throughout the catacombs as he coiled in feverous pain. I stalked him down with plasma building for a final blow and for the second time in my life, I saw fear in his cold white eyes. The blast struck like lightning as rock and dust exploded in an earsplitting crack.

Riptorn was trembling, overpowered by sheer terror as the dust finally settled. "The only reason you're still alive is because I am allowing it," I seethed with steam emanating from my nostrils. "Let that be a reminder to never cross my path again."

Riptorn growled in a low and quiet fury before curling himself out from under my stance. "This isn't over."

* * *

 _ **The Tenth Winter…**_

To my surprise Riptorn kept his word, I have only seen him from afar forever checking his corners as if my shadow lives on his shoulders. I often wondered whether that was the right choice, as he too kept his promise some winters later. The past haunts us with many ill doings though he had my fate marked for death. In defeating this foe I gained a friend in Gem and Dax and I was shown that with every scar on the surface there were greater ones underneath. This was my fifteenth winter on this Earth and many resolved to treat me like it was my fiftieth; I had lost my innocence and my freedom of youth in this place as all others had. Gem and Dax however were still so benign untethered by mortality at every corner. I think I can say that for the first time since Shiverwing died, I had fun playing games in my den with this young dragon away from the prying eyes of the Queen. In time I feared she would discover this though what surprised me was Gem and Dax's intuition. They understood my fears, they relished and comforted me in sharing my story; Stormtrapper even made a comment that broke yet another wall of solitude I used to protect myself from pain.

My point is, these many winters and the hell they poured down left me fractured and out of place. The hills and meadows I would play in with my adoptive brothers and sisters seemed like a different life, a simple life and I couldn't help but long for it even more. Yet reality rolled on like waves on the seas and the raids grew into the coming of yet another winter. I wish I had the chance to say goodbye; we could've guessed the future for many of them were lost from my life soon after. They weren't dead, just gone.

As it happened, that single weapon the humans used to throw stones brought heavy casualties over the winters. Stormtrapper dared to scale the structure with his fire coating his scales in an awesome display of ferocity. The humans upon the tower beat down upon him but I had my sight locked for an aerial attack. The air filled with a shrill whistle and below I could hear them scream as they always had.

'Night Fury, get down!' a flash of light filled the dawning sky as I breezed through the flames.

I was as invisible as the night, I needed no food to earn my right and the rocks toppled over in defeat. First light breached the horizon with slivers of amber and thus our time was drawing to a close; many of my company had claimed their keep with a few holding back on the defense. As such, I circled around with my eye on the remains of the tower; plasma tore another whole decimating it at last. A cold snap suddenly wrapped around my wings and heavy balls of steel bashed against my hide.

'GAAARRRRRRRGH!" I was trapped hurtling through the air towards the island forests.

The canopy grew vastly upon its rocky hills until I was swallowed into an agonizing pain I had never known. If not the searing agony ignited in my tail then all I remember was the darkness that followed.

* * *

 **Toothless' Note**

 **Six months this took. Six months of back and forth between me and my translator in order to get everything right. I feel the six months was worth it though, because this chapter alone has some importance. Not only towards me as a dragon, but to the rest of the story. We all know what's going to happen next, but the ten winters prior to this are what made me who I would end up being. So, with my translator's help, we needed to realize every detail in each and every one of these ten winters. And, now, after six months it's finally done. This is the part of the story that is… touchy but important to me. But, I'd never have it any other way. ~Toothless**


End file.
